


Batman Chronicles: Eye of the Demon

by Green_X



Series: Batman Chronicles [2]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Year two Batman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-04-18 16:56:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 29,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4713482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Green_X/pseuds/Green_X
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Origins, Batman now maintains a fearful presence in the city of Gotham. He must fight against mob bosses, a secret organization that has operated for centuries and raise an orphan child. History has just repeated itself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

"Over here! Over here!"

They loved him. To them, he was a celebrity. A charming playboy with a lot of money. He walked on the red carpet, two pretty girls at his side. A-list actresses. He smiled at the rapidly flashing cameras.

"Mr. Wayne, over here!"

In truth, it was a disguise. A front for who he really was. A cover for the monster he kept chained in the depths of his soul. He restrained it during the day. At night, he eagerly unleashes it unto the world. And the world cringes in fear. But this makes the monster smile. Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy and CEO of his own company, escorted his dates for the evening to a private table at a new restaurant he had just purchased. He whispered to the waiter to bring him ginger ale. The world knows Bruce Wayne as an alcoholic but he can't afford to have his judgment even slightly impaired, not even for a single night. The monster inside demands clarity. It demands clarity for the night ahead. Bruce Wayne has no say in the matter. For he is simply a disguise for the monster inside. So, he danced with the models, with the actresses, with the socialites that had nothing better to do than to throw themselves at him and he pretended to enjoy it. But in truth, he hated every moment. He could be in his Cave, upgrading his tech or designing the next weapon. He could add more functionality to his suit, or simply train. Train until his heart gave out. He always loved that choice. By the end of the night, his dates were so hammered that they didn't even seem to notice when he escorted them to a taxi to be taken back to their respective houses. He was happy, though his face didn't show it. He had practiced for decades to retain his stoic composure. To the world, he looked like a stone. But the monster inside approved. Bruce walked into an alleyway, coming upon a manhole. He removed the lid before jumping down into the sewers. He walked a bit until stopping in front of a wall. He pressed into it and suddenly a blue light shot out and scanned his body.

_'Subject confirmed: Batman.'_

The wall began to slide open, revealing a hidden room. Bruce undid his suit, walking inside and allowing the wall behind him to close.

"Lights: On." Bruce commanded. The lights flipped on, revealing a sort of home away from home. He walked up to the computer, bringing up a murder file.

" _Last night, a woman was found in a dumpster, mutilated and scarred. She was seen dancing at a nightclub with some friends. After drinking far too much, she stumbled into an alleyway and her predator saw his opportunity to strike. The crime scene showed scuff marks on the pavement, indicating a struggle. She probably couldn't put up much of a fight considering her drunken state. During the act itself, she probably didn't even have it in her to scream for help."_ Batman narrowed his eyes at the screen. _"I've taken blood samples from the scene but it wasn't in the database. This means two things... It's someone young, new to the game. Someone who has a clean record and no real hospital visits. That, which is highly unlikely, or there's someone that's leading me on. Wants to see what I'm really made of. Someone who wants to test the monster inside."_ Bruce glanced at the screen. He remembered, years ago... 7 months after his parents' deaths, at the age of 9, how he felt...

_They walked through the streets, Alfred and him. The boy kept his eyes cast downward, the image of their corpses ever so fresh, ever so clear. Like a haunting phantom that refused to give him peace, fueling him with boiling, foreign emotions that seemed so permanent and foreboding. He didn't how to feel or even what to do. He was lost, without a purpose, something no nine year old boy should ever feel. Just then, he heard something. He turned his head to see an arrest taking place. Three white policemen were surrounding a black man. Behind him were three kids, all girls, who held in each other in fear._

" _Please!" The man protested. "I haven't done anything wrong! I was just picking up my children!"_

" _Stop resisting!" They tased him, causing him to collapse on the ground. They kicked his fallen body in front of his kids, before grabbing him by the arms and lifting him up._

" _You... you racist bastards! Please, somebody help! I didn't do anything wrong! Help me, please!"_

_Bruce couldn't take it anymore. He broke away from Alfred, running towards the police and the man being dragged away to the police car. It was rush hour, so the streets were bustling with people, making it difficult for the boy to reach him. He yelled for the cops to stop, but the overlapping chatter and sounds of the city promptly drowned his little voice out. The man was taken away, while Bruce was found by Alfred._

" _Master Bruce, stop! There's nothing you can do for him."_

That was then. But now, he was able to do something. And he would. He would put a stop to this animal, no matter what.

" _Fine."_ Bruce's thoughts continued. _"I'll unleash the demon inside and strike fear into their hearts."_ Bruce sighed deeply. _"The police interviewed the bar tender and her friends. There was no indication of anyone following her the past few days. However at the bar, the bartender says there was a man watching her from a table. He didn't order anything and simply left 20 minutes before she did. This means he had picked his target on the spot."_ Bruce walked into a changing chamber, stepping in before stepping out clad in the batsuit. The batsuit had changed slightly. The symbol was more emphasized, the red was made darker and instead of a silver utility belt, he now possessed a yellow one. Batman exited his second Batcave, going up to the ground above. He grappled up to to the sky, swinging through the city. He landed on a rooftop overlooking the bar. Using his cowl's combined binocular and thermal vision, he checked to see if anyone was inside. After clearing that up, Batman entered the building, walking to the table the man was reported to be seated at. He found faint fingerprints on the seat. He scanned them and then pressed his fingers to his ear.

" **Alfred, can you read me?"**

_'Loud and clear, Master Bruce.'_

" **I need you to run a set of fingerprints through the database."**

_'Right away sir. Let's see... here we are. Fingerprints belonged to a Ms. Jane Walkman.'_

" **A woman? No, that's impossible."** Batman looked around the bar. **"The prints are fake. I want you to search the list of convicts that have committed crimes involving fake fingerprints."**

_'Recently, the only convicts arrested for crimes involving fake fingerprints are a one Victor Klenn and a Simone Nathans.'_

" **What were their crimes?"**

_'Ms. Nathans was accused of larceny and murder of the first-degree. She's been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and is now incarcerated in Arkham Asylum. Mr. Klenn was arrested for a bank robbery.'_

" **Did Klenn have any partners?"**

_'Hmm.. let's see... oh, my. Mr. Klenn had received help from... Jane Walkman. She's reported dead.'_

" **Klenn must've of somehow got ahold of her fingerprints and lent them to this murderer. Give me a list of Klenn's past associates."**

_'There is a Dwayne McClinton, John Sanders, Mike Sawyer, Rebecca Shaw, and a mysterious fellow known simply as "Mr. Z."'_

Batman now stood on a rooftop overlooking the city. **"Give me a list of references where the name 'Mr. Z' may have been used."**

_'There is only one reference where I found this name being used. Apparently, our Mr. Z has been under the employment of the late Carmine Falcone some 15 years ago.'_

" **Look into Falcone's old files. I want a name."**

_'Apparently, Mr. Z used to be a hired assassin. Real name: Victor Zsaaz.'_

" **Victor Zsaaz... any last known locations?"**

_'An old apartment building on 5th and Martin Luther King Blvd.'_

Batman found himself standing on a rooftop overlooking the apartment. He stealthily entered inside, finding the apartment old and run down. Batman narrowed his eyes. On a torn couch was a drug addict, a man hopped up on cocaine. Batman walked up to him.

" **Do you know Victor Zsaaz?"**

The man was bug-eyed upon seeing the figure before him. "Hey-hey man, you're not supposed to be here!"

Batman grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up. **"Answer the question."**

"Yeah-yeah, I-I know him! What do you want, man? What do you want to know? I'll tell you, just don't hurt me, baby. I'm already hurtin' inside."

" **Where is he?"**

"He hasn't been here in a week, man. Stays at the old rundown theater in Crime Alley, man. I swear, brother. Just don't hurt me."

Batman threw him back at the couch. He turned around and walked to the window, jumping out and gliding away.

* * *

She opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings. She was in an old theater that been rundown and abandoned for years. She tried to move but she quickly realized that she was gagged and bound to a chair by some rope. 21 year old Naomi Hume, a blond, round faced woman, felt the pain on her forehead, reckoning that she was probably bleeding from it. She shuddered as light footsteps walking towards her. She turned her head to see a bald headed man with a wild look. He wasn't wearing a shirt and he had three scars on his chest. In his hand was a knife with blood already dripping from it. He slowly walked towards the woman, an eerie smile creeping onto his face.

"Who-who are you?" She asked fearfully.

"Ah, the zombie speaks." Zsaaz licked his knife with his tongue. "Feel fear no longer, my sweet. I will unburden you of life. The pressures and heartbreaks of this damned Hell will hurt you no more. I am your savior. I will release you."

"Please, God, no! Just let me go! Please!"

Zsaaz walked up to her, gently caressing her face. "Shh, shh, my dear..." He pressed the knife to her neck. "It'll all be over soon."

A batarang was suddenly thrown into the back of his hand, the pain forcing him to drop the knife. Batman emerged from the shadows, walking towards Zsaaz. **"It's over, Zsaaz. Don't make this any harder than it has to be."**

Zsaaz roughly ripped out the projectile from his hand. "Ah, the Batman... the Dark Enforcer of life. You're nothing but a jailer, imprisoning these worms in this cursed existence. This plane, this dimension is naught but a distraction from the true release, the true dimension... I have seen it with my own eyes. And I will grant humanity release from this painful, fruitless struggle on this meaningless ball of filth we call a planet. I will invite every man, woman and child to the sweet pleasure... of oblivion!"

Zsaaz reached behind his back and pulled a knife, before charging Batman. Zsaaz slashed at Batman, but he was too fast, shifting his body at every attack. Batman gave Zsaaz an uppercut in the gut, causing him to double over. Zsaaz attempted to stab him but Batman grabbed his wrist, snapping it with his strength. Batman then side kicked the psychopath in his face, knocking him out. After disposing of him, Batman walked over to the restrained woman. At first, she regarded him with fear. She began hyperventilating as he raised his arm. Batman, using the blades on his gauntlet, cut the rope around her. She gasped at this, looking up at the Dark Avenger.

"Wha-what?"

" **You're free to go now. "**

Tears of happiness began to build in her eyes, a smile creeping onto her face. She sprang up, wrapped her arms around his head and gave him a smooch on the lips. She parted with him, a bit dazzled by the act. "Thank you..." She winked at him. "Batman."

She turned around and ran off, presumably to her home. Batman smirked slightly, before turning his attention to the fallen Zsaaz. Batman pulled out bat-themed handcuffs and cuffed him up. He pressed a button on his mini-keyboard, anonymously calling the police. Batman then pressed his fingers to his ears.

" **Alfred, I've caught Zsaaz. The police are on their way."**

_'Glad to hear it, sir.'_

" **How's Zatanna?"**

_'Preparing for your night out together, as we speak.'_

" **Good. Let her know I'll be home shortly."**

_'Very good, Master Wayne.'_


	2. Chapter 1: Repeated History

"I'm kind of surprised you wanted to go here, of all places, Zee."

"Well, why not? Circuses are fun. You know fun, right? That thing normal people do on their spare time."

"Never really liked it."

"Why am I not surprised?"

Bruce and Zatanna walked together through Haley's Circus, a circus that comes to town once a year. Bruce stuck his hands into his coat pockets, glancing at the attractions all around him.

"I haven't been to this circus in years."

"You used to go here?"

"With my dad." Bruce now had a faraway look, no doubt replaying the memories in his head. Zatanna quickly took notice of this. She grabbed his hand and his attention.

"Come on, Bruce," She began leading him to a basketball game. "Let's go have some fun." She smiled sweetly.

And had fun they did. His discipline, having been acquired through years of training, couldn't hold up to her. She's known him since they were 12 and for the life of him, he couldn't not smile when he was around her. She knew how to get under his shell, bring out the broken child who had watched his parents get shot down in front of him and nurture him. It was a nice feeling, something he wasn't at all used to. They shot hoops, threw balls at glass bottles and into fish bowls. Bruce and Zatanna finished up their current game.

"See?" Zatanna grinned at him. "Not so bad to get out of that dark cave every once in awhile is it?"

Bruce chuckled lightly. "Don't push it."

Zatanna cast her eyes downward. "You know, after I recovered... Alfred told me something interesting..."

"What's that?"

She looked at him now, a smile on her face. "He told me that the Batman had stayed by my bedside through the whole night. Never leaving my side."

"Did he now?"

"Oh, yes. And so it makes a girl wonder if there's more to a guy than just anger wrapped in a cape?"

Bruce stopped. He then sighed as he turned towards her, looking straight into her brown eyes. "Honestly, Zee... part of me... wants to open every single door to you..."

Zatanna looked at him, recognizing the words that still haven't been said. She bit her lip. "What about the other part?"

Bruce gave a her sad, almost fleeting look. "Loves you enough to keep it closed."

Zatanna shut her eyes, lowering her head. "You know Bruce, I'm no stranger to tragedy."

"True, but you're not driven by it either." Bruce stepped up, taking hold of her hands. "Can you forgive me?"

She looked up, staring into his blue eyes. She gazed into his soul through the gateway that he freely opened for her and saw his pain, his sadness. She kissed him on the cheek. "Always, Bruce."

The two continued on their way to the huge tent, where the main show was about to begin. The performance was brilliant. Juggling clowns, jumping elephants, the works. Then came the main attraction.

 _'Ladies and Gentlemen!'_ The announcer shouted over the intercom. _'Please give a warm welcome to the Flying Graysons!'_

Zatanna's pocket began to vibrate. She reached into out and fished out her phone. "I'll be right back."

Bruce nodded as Zatanna got up and walked out.

* * *

John, Mary and Richard Grayson walked through the tunnel to the performance area, adorned in colorful red and green costumes. They stopped short of the exit, watching as the previous performers wrapped up their respective act. Mary turned around, kneeling down to her son's height. 12 year old Richard John Grayson, a young boy with black hair, complete with bangs, sky blue eyes and a nervous look in his eye, glanced at his red haired mother as she began to speak.

"Are you ready, Dick?"

Richard swallowed hard before nodding meekly. His father, a tall, athletically built man with blue eyes and black hair, with gray adorning the top, looked down at him. "It'll be alright, Richie." He assured in a comforting tone. "Don't be scared. It's just like practice, alright? I promise, everything will be alright. Your mother and I will catch you."

Richard smiled at his dad. His mother kissed his forehead. They then began walking towards the platforms when a man rushed past them. He had a suspicious look in his eye, Richard noticed.

"Excuse me." He said in a gruff tone. Richard was almost certain that he had never seen that man around the circus before. He knew this place and all its inhabitants like the back of his hand. They were his friends, his family. Just as Richard began to speak up did the announcer begin to call their names.

"Come on, Dick," His mother hurriedly said. "That's us."

He cast one last glance at the disappearing man before ascending to the platform with his parents.

* * *

The lights flashed on, revealing the family standing on the high platforms. They waved with a smile at the crowd. John jumped first, swinging on the swing before performing a graceful flip and grabbing the other swing with impeccable timing. John then swung back to the first swing, demonstrating his athletic prowess. He held out his hands and his wife jumped, performing sleek flips just as good, if not better, than her male counterpart. After performing a few flips, the duo had joined together, with John holding her legs while Mary held her arms out. Richard inhaled deeply as his parents swung away. He prepared to flip on as soon as they came back. His hearing had caught the sound of a squeak. He looked to see one of the screws had been loosened. His eyes widened as his parents came swinging back towards him, his beautiful mother smiling as she held out her hands towards him. She never got close enough. The swing snapped, dislodging itself from the platform and sending the two Graysons spiraling down to the ground below. The impact rendered their bodies motionless as blood quickly began pooling around them.

Richard's eyes widened in shock. "Mom! Dad!"

In the crowd, Bruce stood up in shock, watching as the young boy climbed down from the platform and rushed to his parents.

"No, no, no!" He rushed to their side, kneeling at their bodies. "Wake up!" He shook their bodies, but to no avail. He glanced at his hands, taking in the sight of their smeared blood. Tears began flooding his eyes, his whole world crashing down before his eyes.

* * *

The police were there, talking to the witnesses. Bruce stared at the young boy, who currently had a catatonic look on his face. Zatanna came up to Bruce's side.

"Bruce, what happened?"

"That boy's parents just... died."

"What?!"

He motioned to the swings above. "They were dislodged from the screws." Bruce's tone became hushed. "I think they were murdered."

Her face understandably expressed shock. "By whom?"

Bruce shook his head. "I don't know... yet."

Zatanna sighed. "I wish I could stay and help you but... I have to go."

Bruce turned towards her. "Go?"

"My father's recovered and says he's got business to take care of. I need to go with him, keep him safe."

"I understand." Bruce grabbed and kissed Zatanna passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck, responding positively to it. They swapped fluids for several moments before parting, gazing into each others eyes. No words were needed then. Their feelings for one another were clear. They parted from each others arms.

"Take care Bruce." He nodded before watching her turn around and walk off. After she disappeared from his sight, he turned his attention back to the boy, watching him hold in sobs as he watched his parents get taken away in body bags. Bruce strode over to the boy, coming up behind him. He knelt down and gently placed a comforting, consoling and sympathetic hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Hey."

Richard turned behind him slowly, giving Bruce a look he knew well. A look he had worn himself when he was just 8 years old. A look of death. A look of a boy who had just witnessed the two people he loved with all his heart ripped from his life in a flash. Bruce understood better than most about how this boy felt right now. He felt rage, hatred, despair, and pain. Unforgiving, unrelenting pain. But above all, he was feeling a strong desire. An unquenchable desire, a desire quite capable of driving this boy to do great or terrible things. A desire of vengeance.

"Who-who are you?" He asked with a sniffle, his voice devoid of any emotion. Of any hope.

"My name is Bruce Wayne. I wanted to offer you my sincerest condolences."

The boy turned his sight back to the corpses of his parents now being taken away on a stretcher. "Thanks..."

Bruce walked in front of him before kneeling down to his height. "18 years ago, my parents took to a theater in where's now known as Crime Alley. After the movie, I watched the two people I loved more than anybody get shot down before my very eyes."

This made Richard look up. Look up and glance into Bruce's eyes and what he saw was, maybe, a kindred spirit?

Richard's eyes began to water. "It's... it's my fault!" He put his face into his hands. "I saw a man run away but I didn't say anything! They're-they're dead because of me..."

Bruce reached and hugged the boy. "Shh.. it'll be alright. It'll be okay." Bruce repeated this as he remembered Alfred had once repeated to him as he himself had cried never-ending tears of pain, similarly to the boy he held in his arms right now.

* * *

He watched their bodies disappear beneath the Earth from which they sprung. He listened to to the priest speak about God's mercy and such things. To Richard, at this very moment, seemed like a load of crap. He felt the wind blow on his skin, a dark and cold wind, a characteristic only found in Gotham. Richard was numb. He couldn't take his eyes off their tombstone. Replaying in his mind's eye over and over again was their death. Blood everywhere. Their blood. On his hands. He glanced at his palms. It was still there. Still there. He began trembling as he knew. He knew it would be there forever, unable to wash off. There wasn't even a tear Richard could shed. He wept all he had within. Now, there were just dried tears. Dried tears of misery.

From afar, Bruce watched the boy standing in front of his parents' graves. A large, rotund man with a receding white hairline and a thick beard began leaving the site.

"Excuse me." Bruce called out.

The man turned to him. "Yes?"

"Are you Haley? Alex Haley?"

He nodded. "Yes, I am. Who're you?"

"My name is Bruce Wayne. I was in the crowd the day it happened."

"Oh. Well, thank you for coming."

Bruce nodded slowly. He turned his sight to Richard. "Does he have anybody? Any family?"

"No..." Haley let out with a sad sigh. "Just us. We're all the family he's got."

"I see." Bruce walked up to Haley. "Mr. Haley, I'd like to adopt Richard Grayson."

Haley furrowed his brow in confusion. "Do you know him?"

"No. But I know what he's going through."

"Well then, with all due respect, Mr. Wayne, I think we can take care of him ourselves."

"Mr. Haley, you have an entire circus to run. The other performers, I'm sure, have their own families, performances and things to worry about. I own a company and can allow... a friend to run it in my place, allowing me to be there for him and help him through this."

"We could honestly care less about our problems. We're willing and ready to be there for Dick."

"I've no doubt you do. But I could take care of him. Money would never be an issue. I could make sure that, from now on, he could be comfortable." Bruce handed him a card with a phone number on it. "Think about it and call me." With that Bruce walked away, but before he left the cemetery, he turned his head and took one last glance at the boy.

" _I'm sorry for your loss, Richard."_ Bruce walked to his car and drove off.


	3. Chapter 2: Adjusting

He stepped, weaved and slipped imaginary punches. He landed a one-two on the punching bag before stepping up and giving it a roundhouse knee strike. The timer went off and Lieutenant James Gordon stopped his workout for a water break. He kept himself sharp, in shape. He had to. Even with Falcone gone, there were still others scrambling to take his place. Crime lords such as Don Maroni and the Demitrov Russian Family. There's been rumors of new players, a couple of up and coming crime lords looking to control Gotham's underworld. But Gordon had a couple of partners who would say otherwise about that. Gordon stepped into his car and drove home.

He opened the door to his new apartment in a relatively safer part of Gotham. He walked in, taking the smell of fresh banana bread that his wife, Barbara, had just made. He hung up his jacket before making a B-line to the kitchen to see his niece-turned-adoptive daughter already sneaking a piece.

"Barb."

She froze just as she lifted a piece to her mouth. She turned in a dramatic, almost cartoonish fashion and caught sight of her uncle standing there with a grin on his face.

" _Damn. Busted."_ She thought. She plopped the piece into her mouth before turning around. Barbara Gordon Jr. 14 years old and an orphan since last year. She was average height, red haired and brown eyed. She had recently got glasses, emphasizing her eye color. She had a slim, athletic figure due to her exploits as an active gymnast. "Heyyy... Uncle Jim."

Gordon mirthfully shook his head. He walked over and cut a piece himself. "Where's Barbara?"

"She took the baby and went out. She said she'd be back soon."

Gordon nodded. "So how was gymnastics?"

Barbara plopped down on the couch. "It was cool. Sasha broke her wrist, though."

"Sasha?"

"Yeah, the new kid. She messed up a handspring and sprained her wrist. I'm going to visit her tomorrow."

"That's nice of you."

She nodded. She reached for the remote and turned the TV on. A news report was playing.

_'That's right, Bill! Dangerous serial killer known as Victor Zsaaz was apprehended the other night by the alleged vigilante known as the Batman. The Batman has been rumored to have played a part in quelling the terrorist attacks last year. However, no one has been able to record any footage of him, as any recording seems to come out as a blur. Witness's testaments of him seem to vary from man in a bat-suit to a 6 foot monster with leathery wings.'_

Barbara's eyes had stars in them. She turned to her uncle. "Have you ever met him?"

"The Batman?"

"Yeah, are you guys, like, partners?"

Gordon chuckled lightly. "Something like that."

"That's so cool!" She turned back to the TV. "I wish I could be like him..."

* * *

A car stopped in front of Wayne Manor. Alfred walked down, opening the door. A young lad walked out with a suitcase in hand and a backpack on his back. Richard Grayson gave his new home a once over.

"Welcome, Master Richard. I am Alfred Pennyworth. I am Master Wayne's butler and am here to aid you in whatever manner I can. May I take your suitcase, young Master?"

Richard handed it to him. "Thanks."

Alfred nodded. "Follow me."

Alfred ascended the stairs, leading Richard inside. Inside, Richard glanced at the various paintings and statues so characteristic of a wealthy man. Richard sighed, sticking his hands into his pockets. They went upstairs and walked to the study where Bruce sat, writing something in a notebook. Alfred cleared his throat, getting Bruce's attention.

"Ahem. Master Bruce, your guest has arrived." Alfred stepped to the side and allowed Richard to walk in. Bruce stood up, walking over to his new ward. He held out his hand.

"Welcome, Richard." He shook the boy's hand.

Richard nodded. "Uh, thanks, Mr. Wayne."

"Bruce."

"Right. Um, Bruce, not that I'm ungrateful for you taking me in and all that but, it's just, it's all a little sudden."

Bruce nodded understandably. He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I understand. But don't worry. We will take care of you. I want to help you get past their death. I want to help you... preserve their memory."

Richard seemed content with his words, but his eyes still held the glow of despair. "Come now, Master Richard," Alfred directed. "Let's get you to your room." Alfred and Dick left the room, leaving Bruce alone in the study. He walked over to the Shakespeare statue and pressed the button to open the entrance to the Batcave. He descended into his base of operations. He walked up to his computer, typing up the names John and Mary Grayson. He read the report, searching through any evidence the police had written in their papers.

" _Nothing..."_ Their deaths were ruled an accident, a consequence of faulty swings. But Bruce knew better. This was orchestrated and by someone with a vendetta either against Haley's circus or the Graysons themselves. Bruce heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head to see Alfred walking up to him.

"Master Richard has been settled within his room, sir."

"Good. Thank you, Alfred."

"May I ask what you're doing?"

"Richard's parents were murdered."

"By whom?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out."

"How are you so sure that his parents were killed?"

"I just am."

"Really?"

Bruce spun around. "Is there something you want to say, Alfred?"

"Master Bruce, you have just adopted a son. He has, like you, lost his parents at a ripe young age. Quite frankly sir, I think you're projecting yourself onto this poor young man and trying to solve his parents' supposed murder simply... simply because you were unable to do so with yours."

Bruce's scowl was all that was needed to display his anger. "Are you done?"

"One more thing, Bruce. This boy can't have Bruce Wayne by day and Batman by night like the rest of us. He needs more than just a fortune and a butler. He needs what I was never able to fully give to you. He needs a father."

Bruce stood up, standing face to face with his own adoptive father. "I made a promise that I would _never_ allow something like this to happen to another child. Right now, all he's dreaming about is his parents' death. Replaying it over and over again. He'll keep seeing the face of the man responsible until the feeling of hatred and vengeance swallows him whole. Until it's the only thing he'll know. Until it drives him forward to accomplish unimaginably great and terrible things. Until he becomes darkness itself. Until he becomes... like me." Bruce turned back to the screen. "I can't live with that, Alfred. Can you?"

Alfred sighed. He knew Bruce had a point. He always does. "Very well, sir. I just hope you realize that what will help Master Grayson in moving on is your presence." With that, Alfred walked out of the Cave, leaving Bruce in the company of the bats.

* * *

Harvey Dent whistled as he walked through the streets of Gotham. Why was he whistling? Because he was madly in love. In love with the girl of his dreams, Ms. Grace Whittman. He walked past a flower shop, buying some white lilies. He walked to the park where he agreed to meet his girlfriend. She awaited him on a small bridge over a running stream. She was beautiful. Her hair flowed in the wind, as well as her pink dress. It gave her a magnificently elegant look. She turned towards him, and he could swear to God that when she smiled, she looked like an angel. He walked up to her and handed her the lily. Her eyes lit up, and she kissed him.

"They're beautiful." She said.

Harvey smiled at her. "You're beautiful."

She smiled back. He took her hand in his own, looking deep into her eyes. "Grace... this past year has been the best year of my entire of life. I have never been so happy as I've been with you. With you in my life, I feel like I can do anything... even save this damn city from its own vices. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, have a family with you and be happy with you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring , making Grace gasp in pleasant surprise. She had tears building up in her eyes and in he his. "Grace Whittman, will you marry me?

"God, yes, Harvey! Yes!" He smiled widely, placing the ring on her finger. He rose up and kissed her. They embraced, the Sun shining down on them brightly as they happily, celebrating their love.

* * *

He breathed out, squatting with one-fourth a ton on his shoulders. He removed the thought of the weight out of his mind, using the mental techniques he had learned from the East. He breathed out, achieving the perfect form before rising all the way up. He put the barbell back on the rack before reaching for a towel and wiping the sweat from his brow. Bruce walked down the hallway of his house, drinking a bottle of water. He stopped near Richard's door, catching a sound. A sniffle and sobs. He peered into the room to see him sitting on the window sill, staring at a picture of him with his late mother and father. He looked down sadly, sympathizing with the boy's pain. He closed the door before a determined look claimed his features. He made a B-line to his study, immediately opening the pathway to his Cave. He descended into it, before stopping at a chamber containing his suit.

Haley's circus was still in town due to the staff still mourning the Graysons' death. Batman snuck into the tent where the Graysons fell. He looked around, turning on his cowl's infrared vision. He walked up to the swings' bolts, checking them.

" _ **They were unscrewed halfway. The weight from the acrobats did the rest."**_

He looked around, his mind drifting to what's at stake. His memory going back to the look of pain and sadness on Richard's eyes. He remembered looking in the mirror and seeing it so blatantly within himself. This brought resolve within the Bat.

" _ **There's not enough evidence in the crime scene to formulate the identity of the killer. I need to find out who's been in contact with the Graysons..."**_

Sighing, old man Alex Haley walked into his dressing room, sitting on the stool in front of the mirror. He rubbed his hands over his eyes, signs of bags forming under his eyes. Probably from stress. The man looked up at the mirror to see a dark figure standing behind him. With a start, he spun around to see Batman glowering over him.

"Y-you! What're you doing here?!"

" **Alex Haley. I need some answers."**

"Answers? Answers to what?"

" **The deaths of John and Mary Grayson were no accident. They were murdered."**

"What do you mean? How the hell would you know that?"

" **That's not important. What is important is that I know who the Graysons have been in contact. Anyone that could have some reason to hold a grudge against them."**

"Look here, Batman or whatever you're called, I don't know who the hell you think you are but you can't-"

Batman grabbed his collar and pushed him up against the mirror behind, cracking it. Batman's breath was low and his mouth was thin line, indicating impatience. This had the efficient effect of eliciting fear from his person.

" **I asked politely the first time. If I have to ask again, it won't be so nice."**

"Okay, okay! Please, just let me go!"

Batman released him, allowing him to collect himself. "I'm not sure about any names...but there were a few suspicious looking men visiting the Graysons a few times. They wanted something, seemed to be harassing them but every time I asked if they were in any trouble, they said no."

" **Where were their quarters?"**

He walked over to a window, pointing towards a nearby trailer. He turned around to see Batman gone. He scoffed.

"Freak..." He muttered from beneath his breath.

Batman was now in the Graysons' quarters, examining the room. He searched through the drawers, the cabinets, and the mattress. Beneath the bed, he found a card. It had a number on it. He pressed his hands to his ear.

" **Alfred, are you there?"**

_'Always, sir.'_

" **I need you to run a phone number through the computer. I'm sending it now."**

_'Right then. Here we are.'_

" **Good. Send every contact, text messages and phone calls made using this number."**

_'Of course, Master Bruce. And while I perform this procedure, may I inquire into the reason you need this information?'_

" **I'm tracking a criminal."** He replied with a heavy hint of finality.

Alfred only sighed. _'There are you are, Master Bruce. Now if that is all you require...'_

" **Yes, Alfred. Thank you."** Batman cut off his transmission before checking through his newfound information. He scanned through the messages first but only found two and neither were relevant to his search. He then reviewed the call history, seeing only one phone call was ever made. He replayed the phone conversation.

_'You talk to 'em?'_

_'Yeah, I talked to 'em.'_

_'What'd they say?'_

_'They refused again. Johnny boy ain't too smart.'_

_'So what're you gonna do, Tony?'_

_'I'mma teach 'em a lesson. Oh, yeah. I'll teach 'em alright.'_

_'Just be careful, a'ight? We don't want to attract too much attention to the boss.'_

_'Ah, who's gonna follow us?'_

_'I heard the Batman's pretty good at findin' criminals.'_

_'Hah! 'The Batman' is a fairy tale, Marco. An urban legend.'_

_'Yeah? Well, Fernandez says he saw the Bat beating on some of those Venom guys last year.'_

_'Yeah, well, Fernandez is an idiot. A day without his meds and he's seeing all types of shit. Look, I'll call ya later, alright?'_

The phone call ended and Batman narrowed his eyes. He had something now but not enough. He'd need another lead. All of a sudden, a beep went off in his cowl.

" **Dent?"**

_'Bats, you busy?'_

* * *

A car rode up to a bar in the midst of a rowdy neighborhood. Two men stepped out and strode into the bar, its name being Mustang's Bar. Inside, people were doing the expected – thugs playing pool, drinking at the counter, arm wrestling at the table booths. Life seemed good. The two men walked straight into the back room, taking the stairs upwards. They came to a room with a light hanging overhead. In the middle of room was a round table with three other men already seated and two empty seats. The men seated themselves as the man at the end, a gruff, older man with a thick mustache and a receding hairline began to speak.

"I trust ya bozos have managed to take care of business?"

"Yeah, boss." One of the men replied, a tall man with black hair and mismatched eyes. "I don't think the other places are gonna be refusin' your offers no more."

"Ya made sure to cover your tracks? We don't need any rodents snooping in on our business."

"Aw, c'mon, Mr. Maroni," The man replied. "The Batman ain't real. We don't have to be worryin' about him comin' to our doorstep."

"That's what old man Falcone thought and then he was found with his throat slit and the Bat hanging over him. So look, Zucco," Maroni took out the cigar he had in his mouth and pointed towards him. "If the Batman comes after me, I'm puttin' a bullet in ya. Got it?"

Zucco gulped. "Y-yes, sir."

* * *

Gordon and Dent sat in Gordon's office, facing a board. It was dark, the only shining over said board. All of a sudden, a figure stepped out of the shadows.

" **You rang?"**

"Glad you could come, Batman." Harvey greeted. He turned to the board. "We've called you here for you to see this."

Batman walked up to it. It was list of names, a diagram of all of the crime families in Gotham. Gordon walked up with a marker in hand.

"We can now cross Falcone Crime Family off the list." He drew a line through their name. "Falcone's son and wife upped and left Gotham. Rumor has it due to some threats on their life."

" **Falcone's lieutenant, Oswald Cobblepot, is now trying to usurp the remains of Falcone's empire."**

"Him and a few others." Said Harvey. "Falcone's biggest competitor and rival, Salvatore Maroni, is also trying to to fill the void."

" **I've heard a few other names on the streets too. One of them is calling themselves the Black Mask Gang."**

"Black mask?"

"It's always something in Gotham..." Gordon muttered.

" **You've been going after Maroni?"**

"Yeah." Dent replied. "After Falcone, this guy's the most dangerous crime boss in Gotham City. He's more ruthless too, so instead of just making a quick buck, he'll corrupt Gotham even further just for the hell of it."

"I brought in a guy two days ago," Gordon started. "Who told me the name of one of Maroni's best guys. He said it was some guy named Zucco. Tony Zucco."

" **Tony Zucco?"**

"Yeah, why? You know him?"

" **The death of the Graysons at Haley's Circus was no accident. It was a murder. I went there to investigate and Haley told me about men visiting the Graysons and I found out Tony Zucco is the one who's been visiting them."**

"So Maroni's men visiting Haley's Circus and then killing one of their best performers..." Dent flipped his coin as his face expressed his puzzlement. "You don't think Haley's with Maroni, do you?"

" **Not yet, I don't."**

"How do you even know that the Flying Graysons were murdered?"

Batman turned to him and, in a rather curt manner, simply said, **"I just do. I'm going to need you to detain him and bring him here for questioning. I need to get the whole truth out of him."**

Gordon held out his hands. "Hold on now. If we don't have solid proof, we can't detain anybody."

"Hey Jim," Harvey spoke up. "I think we should give Bats the benefit of the doubt."

"I can't just do that, Harvey. We have to follow the law. You, of all people, should know that."

Batman walked over behind Gordon's desk. He ejected a card out of his gauntlet slot and placed it in the computer. He then typed something up and stepped away from the screen, indicating that Gordon could come take a look. Gordon walked up to his computer and checked the screen. A recording of Batman's questioning Haley was played.

"Well," Gordon started after the video ended. "I suppose we have at least some reason to bring him for further questioning."

* * *

Back at Wayne Manor, Richard explored his new abode of living. He walked throughout the house, taking in its grim grandeur and expensive vases. Photos of art, dating back at least centuries, adorned the walls. In all truth and honesty, it reminded Dick of a haunted house, the kind you'd always see on TV. A hand was suddenly felt on his shoulder.

"AAAHH!" Dick embarrassingly shrieked in a manner reminiscent of a little girl before spinning on his heel and facing his mystery foe. It turned out to be the rather amused Alfred.

"Spot a rat, have we, Master Richard?"

With a rosy blush on his cheeks, Dick looked away. "You don't have to look so cheeky..." He muttered under his breath.

Alfred smiled at the boy. "Is there something I can help you with, Young Master?"

"I was... just looking for the kitchen."

"Right, then. Follow me. Perhaps some herbal tea will calm the nerves."

Dick followed Alfred to the kitchen, a huge setting that would make any professional chef jealous. He took a seat at the counter as Alfred began making the tea.

"So," Richard started. "Where's Bruce?"

"Master Bruce had... business to take care of. Rest assured, you'll see him by morning."

"Oh." Richard cast his eyes downward. Taking notice of the boy's now despondent behavior, Alfred poured him a cup of tea and slid it to him. "I guess he's pretty busy a lot, huh?"

"I'm afraid so, Master Richard." Alfred replied with a sigh. The boy reminded Alfred so much of Bruce. So sad, so alone. There were times when he honestly didn't know how to help him cope with his parents' death. Therapy never helped. It was almost as if Alfred's young ward was destined to become Batman. Raising him on his own, he did the best he could with what he had and he could only hope Bruce would do the same for Richard. In the meantime, Alfred decided he would help young Dick as best he could. Alfred rose from his seat.

"Come with me, Master Richard."

Alfred drove Richard to a graveyard, the graveyard where his parents lay. The night was dark and gloomy, a light low fog was blanketed throughout the yard. Alfred and Richard walked to their tombstones, with Alfred laying back and allowing the boy to be with his parents. He walked up to their tombstone, falling to his knees in a manner Alfred has seen before. Richard touched his parents' grave before bowing his head as a ghostly wind blew by.

"Mom... Dad... I miss you guys so much... it hurts... it hurts a lot... and I wish, I just wish..." Tears began trailing down his cheeks. "It's all my fault... I should've tried harder to warn you guys... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." He raised his head, a look of darkness and something deeper in his eyes. "I promise you, Mom... Dad... he will pay. The man who did this will pay. No matter what. No matter what..."

Alfred walked up to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. Richard rose up and turned around, allowing Alfred to kneel down and look him in the eye.

"Richard... no matter what happens, Master Bruce and I will always be with you. To help you and care for you. I solemnly vow this to you."

Richard tearfully nodded. "Thanks Alfred."

Alfred embraced the young boy before escorting back to the car and driving him back to his new home.


	4. Chapter 3: Man of Many Faces

Batman landed on a building over looking the Mustang's Bar, examining the situation.

" _ **Haley said that Zucco instructed him to meet here. He wanted to talk about some business partnership. Probably wanted to bribe Haley and killed the Graysons' to intimidate him. He took a bit of 'convincing' in the process but it all worked out."**_ Batman grappled to the roof, entered through the vents at the top. He slid down, traveling through the vents and looking through the grates.

"A'ight, now listen up, ya mooks cause I ain't gonna say more than once," Maroni stepped up in front of a small group of men. They were young, ranging from 25 – 30. Muscular, rugged, and with the eyes of a rabid animal and an experienced killer. "Old man Falcone's left a lotta turf. I lot of business needing to be picked up. No one in his family's going to do it but word on the streets is that the Penguin, Falcone's old right hand, is gettin' his army ready. The Russians are gonna be a pain in the ass and we have some new guy, calling himself Black Mask, that's been makin' himself known as well. So we got ourselves a little secret weapon. Bring him in, Zucco!"

Batman watched as Zucco and two other men brought in a huge glass dome with a man inside. He narrowed his eyes as the man walked up to it.

"Hello, Mr. Karlo."

Karlo stepped up and slammed his fists on the glass, his face the very definition of rage. "Maroni! Let me out of here, damn you!"

Maroni rubbed his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. He smiled at the man before lightly tapping on the glass. "Well, the way I see it, Karlo, is that you got yourself into this mess. I mean, you were caught trying to steal our 'experiment' so you could score it as some damn face cream and look at ya now... not even a man anymore. You're just a thing. Well, guess what? Now, you're _my_ thing."

That only had the effect of making Karlo livid. "When I get outta here, I'm gonna gut you, Maroni!"

All of a sudden, a thug rushed into the room. "Boss! Boss!" He shouted.

"Yeah, what? What the hell is it?"

"Our contacts told us that Haley gave you up to the Bat. He's coming here!"

"What?" Maroni turned to Zucco. "We're all getting' out of here, right now!"

" **I don't think so."** The lights suddenly shut off and the room went pitch black. **"I like you right where you are."**

The men pulled out guns, aiming them all around. "Ya think ya can scare us, Bat?! Ya think ya can take us on?! Take ME on?!"

A noise was heard. The henchmen looked around wildly but could still see nothing.

"Someone, turn on a damn light!"

Zucco took out a lighter and shined it through the room, watching as each thug suddenly disappeared. Zucco began hyperventilating and aimed his gun at the disappearing shadow that was Batman and accidentally shot at the glass dome, cracking it. Batman disarmed Zucco and lifted him up in the air. Zucco could barely make out Batman's fierce glare.

" **Tony Zucco... you're going to pay for what you've done."**

"HUAAAWWWWWHHHHHHHHH!" Behind him, Karlo began to shift. His body began to dissipate and turn into a sort of brownish liquid. Karlo broke through the crack in the glass and freed himself. Now outside, Karlo began taking form. He became a 14' foot tall humanoid made of clay. His eyes were a hollow white and his voice was loud.

" _ **Well..."**_ Batman thought. **_"This is new."_**

"Alright! Now, you're gonna get what's comin' to ya, Maroni!" Maroni gasped and began to run but Karlo extended his hand, trapping Maroni in a ball of clay.

"Ah, let go of me, freak!" Karlo smirked and began retracting his hand until a batarang was thrown into his arm and exploded, causing him to drop Maroni. Karlo grunted and turned his attention towards Batman, who had cuffed Zucco to a pipe.

"Stay out of this, Batman!" Karlo began shooting hardened clay bullets at Batman. He dove out of the way, throwing more explosive batarangs at him but Karlo split his body in two and slithered towards Batman. Behind cover, Batman peeked out to see that Karlo was gone. Suddenly, Batman was being speedily lifted up towards the roof as Karlo had uprooted the ground from under his feet. Batman jumped off before the rock opened a hole through the roof and landed on a beam. To his right, Karlo materialized into his human form.

"This has nothing to do with you!"

" **Basil Karlo... a famous actor from the Bronx. Found your way to fame 10 years ago and has since made a net worth of half a billion dollars."** Batman narrowed his eyes. **"What happened to you?"**

Karlo angrily pointed down at Maroni, who was recovering. "He happened to me! And now, I'm going to kill him! Stay the hell out of my way!"

" **No. He'll be brought to justice for whatever he's done to you."**

"'Justice'? 'JUSTICE'?!" Karlo mocked. "There is no justice for what he's done to me! I needed treatment for my ruined face... but there was none! No plastic surgeon could fix me! But then... then, Maroni comes and tells me he has something he got from Wayne Enterprises. A face cream that could make me look good again... but he tried to take it away from me! My entire career was on the line... I had followed the back to their hideout and found the stuff but... but now... it had turned me into this! And it's all his fault!"

" **If Wayne Enterprises had what changed you, then perhaps they could reverse you."**

"Reverse this?!" Karlo began changing his face, taking the facial features of various people. "You can't fix this! I'm a freak now! I'm a clay-faced freak!" He began turning back into his clay form and formed a hammer in his right hand. "Now get the hell out my way, rodent!"

Batman simply shook his head. Angered, Karlo attempted to slam his hammerhand on Batman but he jumped off the beam and used his grappling launcher to swing from the ceiling. Karlo changed his hand into a knife and sliced off Batman's line, sending him falling down to the floor. He recovered by using his cape, landing atop a small box. Karlo was quick and descended down in a sort of clay like wave. He materialized his hand and knocked Batman through the wall and out of the building. Batman roughly landed on the concrete, his body wracking with pain from being launched through a building wall. He glanced up to see Karlo forming a hammer and rolled out of the way. Gaining his bearings, Batman reached behind and pressed a button his belt.

" _ **Have to keep him occupied."**_ The clay-faced man sent a wave of clay at Batman, knocking him into a car door. While the clay retreated, Batman tucked away a vial of the substance that he had procured while the clay was all over him. He stood up and threw explosive pellets at him. Gaping holes were made on his body but they regenerated immediately.

"Hahah! You're gonna have to do better than that, little man!" Karlo formed a huge fist, about the size of a tank, and slammed it on the road, sending debris in the air and launching Batman into a lamppost, knocking it over and revealing its sparkling wires.

"Now die, Bat!" Karlo sent his knife-hand at Batman but at the last minute, he dodged it, turning his body away which allowed Karlo's clay knife to come in contact with the spark of electricity.

"AAARRRGGH!" Karlo's hand immediately retracted as sparks of electricity briefly fluttered around his body. Batman narrowed his eyes, observing this development carefully. A revving engine was heard behind Karlo and when he turned around, he saw the Batmobile. It shot out a small rocket that blew Karlo into a bunch of liquid pieces. He began to reform but before he could, Batman threw an electric batarang at the developing blob of clay.

"BWAHHH!" Karlo screamed before sliding and away and disappearing into a sewer drain. Batman slumped down, resting himself on one knee. He glanced over at the hole in the wall to see Zucco had somehow gotten free. Groaning, Batman walked over to his car while holding his side. Climbing in, he directed the car home.


	5. Chapter 4: The Technique

The Batmobile entered the Batcave, driving on the winding runway and stopping on a round platform. The car's door slid back and Batman, unmasked, jumped out of the car and landed on his feet, stumbling and clenching his teeth from the pain. Alfred rushed over to him, slinging Bruce's arm over his shoulder and supporting him.

"Did you manage to find what you were looking for, Master Bruce?"

He sat him down on the medical bed, while Bruce reached into a compartment on his belt and pulled a vial of clay. "That and more."

* * *

"Yeah!"

"Whoo!"

Barbara and her uncle were watching a basketball game, cheering for their team.

"Shh!" Barbara Sr. warned from the kitchen doorway. "Little Jim's still sleeping."

"Right, sorry hon." Gordon replied with a smile. After she disappeared behind the door, he turned to Barbara and they silently whooped and danced together as their team extended their lead. The doorbell was heard, causing the funky pair to stop. Gordon walked to the door and looked through the peephole to see a shady looking man dressed in an overcoat and a hat. Narrowing his eyes, Gordon asked in an even voice, "Who's there?"

"Lieutenant Gordon. We have an urgent message for ya." The man smoothly replied. His voice was deep and had the stink of criminal influence. Gordon had been a cop long enough to recognize it. Gordon turned to his niece and motioned for her to hide. Gordon then swiftly opened the door and in one swift motion, grabbed the man's collar and pressed him against the hallway wall directly in front of his door.

"Who do you work for?" Gordon demanded, his face clearly indicating that he wasn't in the mood for games.

"Put him down, Lieutenant." Gordon glanced behind him to see his wife, his son and his niece all being held at gunpoint by another thug who had climbed in through the window. The man that Gordon was originally holding took his moment of distraction by delivering a quick jab to his jaw, disorientating him. The man then pulled out a gun and shuffled Gordon inside, kicking the door shut behind him.

"If you touch my family, I'll-"

"Shut it!" The man behind him whacked him with the back of the gun, knocking him on the ground.

The second thug crouched down, waving his gun around nonchalantly as he talked. "Listen, Gordon, I'm gonna be straight 'bout this. Our boss don't like it when he does people favors and don't get no repayment for 'em. Ya see, you owe him and he's in the mood to collect. I believe you remember the Penguin? Yeah, he found out that you never did what he asked and instead ya scammed him and thought you could get away with it. Think again, Jimmy boy."

Gordon's mind went back to the meeting he had with Cobblepot a year ago...

_Gordon and Bullock sat back down at Cobblepot's desk, while the wealthy fat midget in question smugly smirked._

" _I'm glad we have an understanding, gentlemen. Now then, here is your assignment." Penguin handed them a slip of paper with a photo on it and an address. "I need this man... dealt with."_

" _Who is he?" Bullock asked._

" _Mr. Tyrone Williams. A man I used to do business with. I won't go into the interminable details but he's now a liability. I appreciate this favor, Detectives."_

" _Right..." Gordon took the file and got up. "I'll... take care of it."_

_Gordon and Bullock left the restaurant, and in the car discussed their next course of action._

" _Alright, Jim" Harvey began as he settled in his seat. "What now?"_

" _Now, we convince this guy to leave and never come back. I'm not going to fight the monsters by becoming a monster. Let's go._

"Well, ya see Jimmy," The thug continued. "Mr. Williams caused Penguin a shitload of problems. Problems that didn't even need to come if you had done as yous was told. Now, the boss wants ya dead. And I'm 'fraid there ain't 'bout to be no witnesses either."

All of a sudden, Barbara Jr. jumped up and bite the man's arm. His partner watched for a second, stunned that a little kid would have the gall to do something so bold but he quickly snapped out of it and began to aim his gun at her. Gordon scrambled up and launched a quick shot to the man's coconuts, forcing him to lower the gun and shoot the bullet at the carpet floor. Gordon quickly disarmed the man while the other thug managed to knock Barbara away. He began to raise his gun until a bullet was shot into his hand, the gun fell and he looked up to see the family man pointing it right at his head. He had a fierce look, like a mother bear protecting her cubs. His enlarged pupils resembled anger itself.

"If you so much as twitch, you're dead." He warned in a dangerously low tone.

Having no other options, the man nodded meekly before raising up his arms in defeat.

* * *

A tall man draped in a coat walked through the streets of Gotham, coming to a stop in front of a gate. Above the gate was the name 'Sionis Industries'. Two guards in grey tuxes stood behind the gate, watching as the man walked up.

"Private property, man. Keep walkin'."

"I was called."

"Yeah? You got ID?"

"Let him in, you idiots!" A boisterous, commanding voice shouted behind them. An average heighted man wearing a white suit walked up. He had the suit opened a few buttons, exposing his chest and some of its hair. On his fingers were gold rings, some adorned with diamonds and rubies. The most striking feature of the man, however, wasn't the overwhelming stench of cologne on his person but the black skull mask on his face, exposing only his brown eyes. "He's my guest."

The gate opened, allowing the man inside. The man with the black mask escorted the tall man to the top of a large building with an S on its side. They stepped inside, revealing it to be a large corporate building. Walking inside the elevator, the men ascended to the top floor, exiting it and entering an office. The man with the black mask walked to his desk and sat on it, inviting the tall man to sit while the guards stood by the door.

"Did ya bring it for me?"

"Yes, Sionis. It is all here." The man replied with a low, dignified voice. A hint of a Chinese accent was heard from his tongue. "The location of both Salvatore Maroni's and Oswald Cobblepot's factories and workshops, the homes of their lieutenants and best workers and a manifest of their transactions as well as their purchases."

"Thanks. By the way, while we're in front of the boys, call me Black Mask." Black Mask quickly skimmed over the papers. "The man who you work for... how did he know where to get this?"

"You ask too many questions, _Black Mask._ All we need from you is the location of the corpse."

Repressing the urge to offer an indignant glare, Black Mask simply replied, "My boys have found something, but not much. This... corpse you guys are after is pretty hard to find. Guy's been dead for like a hundred years."

"What have you found?"

"Some guy - we ain't got a name - fished the body out of some swamp and hid it. He hasn't left the country yet but that's all we now."

"I see..."

Black Mask stared at the man for a second, giving him a long, hard look. "You know who's got it, don't ya?"

The man abruptly stood up and turned to leave. "Our business has been concluded. Farewell."

As the man began to exit the office, one of the guards roughly grabbed his wrist. "The boss didn't give you permission to leave."

The man didn't even blink. He rotated his hand, breaking the grip on his wrist while simultaneously pulling out a knife and instantly slitting the man's throat. The other guard was understandably shocked and pulled his gun out, aiming at the man with a slight tremble.

"Put it down, you idiot! Let him go..." Black Mask ordered.

Confused by this order, the man attempted to protest. "But-but sir...!"

"You really think you'll be able to stop him?"

"Uh, I-"

The man walked through the door, leaving the guard in fear and the other bleeding out on the floor.

"Freakin' assassins..."

* * *

Bruce, with bandages wrapped around his torso and head, was at his computer, analyzing the sample he took off of Clayface. Alfred walked up with a tray of food, placing it next to Bruce, whom was so absorbed in his work he didn't even take notice of it.

"Master Bruce, I hope you remember that you have a dinner party to attend to later on this evening."

"Right..."

"How is the analysis going, sir?"

"Whatever Karlo's been exposed to has changed his body's shape on the cellular level. He is completely made of a mold-able substance, 'clay' if you will, that allows him to transform to whatever he wants. Right now, I have no idea on how to reverse this."

"That's very unfortunate, sir. What will you do?"

"For now, I need to defeat him and have him locked up in an electric cell."

"Electricity?"

"One of his weaknesses. He has a few, apparently. Tests have shown that the clay retracts from harsh elements such as electricity, fire or ice."

"How convenient."

"I've set to work building some gadgets that will allow me to combat him. Next time we meet, I'll be ready for him." Bruce stood up, shutting the computer off. "Ready my suit, Alfred. I have a party to attend."

* * *

Using the umbrella as a cane, Oswald Cobblepot a.k.a. The Penguin began walking towards a small bridge in the park. It was over a small stream that beautifully reflected the shimmering moonlight shining over the city. A frigid wind blew, causing Penguin's coat to flutter slightly. Penguin sighed, shutting his eyes slowly.

"How long do you intend to remain in the shadows, my friend?"

Out of the bushes came Basil Karlo, dressed in a long trench coat and a hat that cast a shadow over his face, covering his features. He walked up, stopping right behind the short man.

"I need your help, Cobblepot."

"Yes, word has reached me of your attempt to kill Maroni. I express my disappointment that you were unable to succeed."

"I don't have time for banter, damn it! I need his location."

Cobblepot glanced behind him, noticing the man's desperate demeanor. He looked like his entire life, his future and hopes were ripped apart from him and, if what Penguin had heard was accurate, then he had indeed. He turned his sights back on the river, taking note that he couldn't find it within him to care.

"I'll need some time to find that out. I need him out of the way, anyway, and you killing him would grant me a great amount of aid. However, if I am to do this for you, you are expected to do something for me, in turn."

Karlo nodded silently.

"Good." Penguin turned around, facing him completely. "I need you to kill someone for me."

"Someone else you need out of the game?"

"No, this is personal. I need the one known as Bruce Wayne murdered brutally and horrifically."

"Wayne? The rich man-whore? Why would you have a grudge against him?"

"BECAUSE HE RUINED ME!" Penguin shouted at the top of his lungs. He quickly composed himself, clearing his throat before turning back around. "My family, the Cobblepot family, was one of the richest in Gotham. Only a few were richer than us, including the _Waynes_..." He emphasized with a spat. "Thomas Wayne, the rich brat's dead father, Thank the Higher Powers, had his company buy out ours. My father, a great and proud man, refused to work under him but Wayne tried to squander our pride by offering him a job! A job! The humiliation, the shame... my father still had enough dignity to refuse this. We eventually became penniless, forced to grovel like beggars... my father and poor mother succumbed to illness and without the money to pay for proper treatment, they died..." Penguin glanced up at the Moon, taking in its magnificence. "I promised from then on to never be without money again... I worked my way up from the bottom, eventually becoming the right-hand man of one of the most notorious crime lords while plotting on how to control the underworld." Penguin was now lost in his monologue, nearly lost awareness of the fact that Karlo was still behind him. Penguin raised his hand towards the Moon. "Falcone... loved this city. He truly did, it was his home... But I don't. I hate it. Vehemently. The litter, the waft of pollution that irritates your lungs and the disgusting ingrates that call themselves citizens - I hate it all. This city is only good for one thing... money. Money is the only thing that matters. Whoever has money has power... and respect." Penguin clenched his fist, almost as if he was trying to grab the Moon. "Tonight..." He continued, this time addressing the man behind him. "Wayne will be attending a party. Rich socialites only, of course. Infiltrate the party and then kill him. Then... I might have some leads on where Don Maroni is hiding himself."

Karlo nodded, before walking off into the night, leaving Penguin alone to stare into the stream.

* * *

The music was serene, graceful and classical. A banquet was in the center of the room with exotic food choices and champagne was being carried throughout the room. Bruce, dressed in a white tux, glided smoothly through the room, winking and smiling at the various socialites he saw. In the corner, he spied his best friend and his girlfriend, smiling and talking amongst themselves.

"Harvey!" He greeted. "I haven't see you in awhile! How are you and Grace?"

They glanced at each other before facing him with a wide smile. "We're getting married, Bruce."

Bruce's eyes widened in surprise before a pleasant smile graced his features. He held out his hand to his friend. "Congratulations, Harvey. I'm so happy for you two."

Harvey shook it happily. "Bruce... I'd like you to be my best man."

"Harvey... I'd be honored." Harvey smiled in reply as they two came in for a quick brotherly hug. He then hugged Grace, whispering in her ear a quick 'congratulations' before parting with a friendly smile.

"When's the wedding date?"

"Two months from now. We wanna be wed as soon as possible." Grace answered.

"That's great, guys."

"Uh, Bruce," Grace pointed over his shoulder. "I think there are some ladies who would appreciate your attention."

Bruce turned around, glancing behind him to see a group of glamorous, gorgeous girls waving at him. He flashed them a smile before turning back to his friend. "If you'll excuse me." With that, Bruce walked over to them and began flirting, getting smiles and casual pats on his chest for his troubles.

From afar, Harvey shook his head mirthfully. "I'll never understand how he does it..."

Harvey felt Grace's hand slip into his own. "You sound jealous."

He turned to her with a grin before wrapping his arms around her waist, bring his face near her neck. His hot breath could be felt on her neck and she could take in his musky scent while he could smell the coconut aroma of her hair. "Believe me, I'm far from it." Grace smiled.

Not long after, a band began playing some slow music and everybody began pairing up. Bruce felt a tug on his suit and he turned to see a voluptuous young woman smiling at him coolly. She was different from the rest in some strange way. Her hair was a silver-ish color, her eyes were a pale grey and she had full lips with purple lipstick. She wore a black dress that shimmered and hugged her body nicely, emphasizing every curve of her figure. Her skin was smooth and seemed to glow, like a bright Moon.

"Mr. Wayne?" Even her voice was serene and dignified, but with a hint of sultriness. She held her hand out to him in lady-like fashion. "I'm pleased to meet you. My name is Silver St. Cloud."

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Cloud." Bruce softly kiss the back of her hand. "Would you care for a dance?"

"Why, yes. I think I'd like that." They smiled at each other as Bruce led her to the dance floor, moving through the crowd until he pick a spot just for them. Smoothly, he spun her into him, her back to his chest. Their footwork moved in graceful unison, a sly smile gracing both their faces. He spun her back around, bringing them face to face, deep ocean blue eyes meeting mysterious pale grey. The smile on their faces subtly widened, while their bodies maintained a steady rhythm.

"St. Cloud... I think I've heard of you. You own a company that is responsible for fundraisers. You mainly raise money for the homeless."

"I'm flattered that you have followed my exploits, Mr. Wayne." He twirled her away, hanging onto her hand before twirling her back, having her face away from him again.

"Bruce. Call me Bruce." He requested with a whisper in his ear, his low voice coming off as a slight masculine growl.

Silver smirked as he twirled her back around, bringing them face to face again. As the music ended, the two finished with Bruce lowering her, and Silver raising her leg up Bruce's. After the dance, the participants applauded the band. Silver turned to Bruce and kissed him on the cheek, leaving a mark from her lipstick.

"I do hope we can dance together again, Bruce." With that, Silver began walking away, her hips swaying as she exited the room. Bruce whistled to himself, wrestling with his collar and letting some of the heat escape. Deciding to get something to drink, he strode over to a bar and ordered a glass of water.

"Bruce Wayne, the infamous billionaire playboy and philanthropist, settling for a glass of water?" A feminine voice asked from behind him. Bruce turned around to see another beautiful woman standing behind him. She had smooth olive skin, forest green eyes and black hair. She wore red lipstick and was wearing a white dress that stopped mid-thigh, all complete with an intrigued smirk on her face.

"Well, last time I got drunk at one of these things, I ended up fondling the Senator's daughter. That made future meetings very... awkward."

The woman cutely giggled as she sat down next to him. "Sex on the beach." She ordered. Bruce raised an amused brow before taking a sip of his water. He looked at her from the corner of his eye, fuzzily trying to remember why she seemed familiar.

"You know, if you're going to check me out, you don't have to be so discreet about it."

Bruce chuckled in reply. "No, no... you just look familiar. Aren't you Jaina Hudson, Tom Hudson's daughter?"

"Hehe, indeed I am."

"I met him once. He's a very capable diplomat. I also met his wife, your mother. Looking at you now, I finally understand where your beauty comes from."

"Ooh, flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Wayne."

"Call me Bruce, Ms. Hudson."

"Jaina or Jai if you like." She replied in turn.

"So Jai, what brings you to a party filled with boring socialites?"

"Mmm, I'm trying to help convince the rich and snobby to help Pakistan. No offense."

"None taken." Bruce reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his checkbook, ripped out a blank check and then wrote a figure on it. "Think of this as my contribution."

"Why, I thought that was a bribe to get me on a date."

Bruce winked at her. "Who said it wasn't?"

She smiled at him before gratefully taking the check and putting it in her purse. "I don't need a check. A man so young and so handsome as yourself need only to ask."

"Ah, flattery will get you everywhere, beautiful. Perhaps we can go on a date sometime?"

She leaned over and planted one on his cheek, the only one without a lipstick mark on it while simultaneously sticking something in his shirt pocket. "Call me." She whispered sultrily in his ear.

With that she walked away, leaving Bruce alone at the bar. Smiling to himself, the man shook his head before taking another sip of his water. The bartender turned to Bruce.

"You are the luckiest man in the world. How do you do it?"

Bruce raised his glass. "It's all in the technique, my friend. All in the technique."

Suddenly, a crash was heard and when Bruce spun around, he saw a huge gaping hole and Clayface was entering through it. Clayface peered through the crowd until he found his target. He evilly grinned.

"Bingo." Clayface zipped through the fleeing crowd in clay mode and appeared before Bruce Wayne, who feigned a look of shock and fear. "Hello, Mr. Wayne. I've come to kill you."


	6. Chapter 5: Fire & Ice

Gordon, having had successfully defended his family, ordered them to find someplace safe while he took the criminals down to police headquarters. Having brought them to the building, he had one placed into the interrogation room while the other was placed in a holding cell.

In the interrogation room, Harvey Bullock sat across from the criminal, picking his teeth with a toothpick. "Ya got some balls, ya know that? I mean, damn! Killin' the lieutenant of the Major Crimes Unit? How stupid do ya gotta be?"

The criminal merely stared at him, sneering at him but refusing to talk. Harvey stood up and slowly began walking around the room. "But not only... were ya tryin' to off Gordon, who happens to be a pal o' mine, but ya was gonna to off the family too?" Standing behind him now, Bullock slammed the man's face into the table. "Ya dead meat, Mack. _Dead meat."_

"Bullock!" A voice was heard from behind the one-way glass.

"Yeah, yeah..." He reluctantly let go of the man before walking towards the door. "Just wait till the family man gets here. He'll chop ya balls off and feed 'em to the hounds." With that, he exited the room. In the observation room, the door suddenly burst open and an enraged Gordon walked in. He stormed straight up to the commissioner.

"Let me in there." He demanded.

The commissioner turned to face the livid man. She stood at about the same height as Gordon. She had short brown hair and wore red glasses. She had dull blue eyes and wore a beige trench coat over a white shirt and striped pants.

"No, Gordon." Commissioner Ellen Yindel replied. "You're too emotionally involved. I can't let you in there, I'm sorry."

"C'mon, Commish," Harvey entered the room, a toothpick sticking out of his mouth. "We need some answers. If we can get this guy to squeal then we can tag this Penguin guy. And we sure as hell ain't getting' it the nice-cop way."

Yindel glanced at the floor, struggling with this tough decision. Since getting the position of commissioner a month ago, it seems like she's had to make a lot of these. Pressure has been put on her to make a decision of whether to continue supporting the Batman's efforts or to hunt him like any other vigilante. That decision was a little easier. This one however...

Sighing, Yindel turned to Gordon. "Fine... but if you get out of control in there, I'm suspending you – is that clear?"

Gordon didn't even answer. He turned around and made a B-line straight for the interrogation room. He slammed the door shut behind him, startling the criminal slightly. His nervousness only increased when he saw that Gordon was going to be the one questioning him. Gordon rolled up his sleeves before walking slowly to the empty chair across from the man. He sat down, giving the man a dark look all the while.

"So... it's your turn now, eh? Well, guess what?! I ain't no snitch! I ain't confessing to nothin'!"

Gordon maintained an icy silence for a good three minutes, simply glaring at the man. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak. "Admit that the Penguin sent you... or else."

The man couldn't help but gulp.

* * *

Dick in his spacious bed, staring at the large ceiling. He couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw his parents bleeding out on the ground. He saw a few of their bones sticking out of their legs and arms. He couldn't stop shuddering or the hot tears that flowed from his eyes. He missed them a lot. When he saw them fall, it felt like someone reached into his chest and tore a hole out of it. The pain is still fresh. Like a throbbing, angry wound. Would it ever heal?

He turned his head towards the huge picture of Bruce's parents above the fireplace that could barely be seen. His thoughts shifted to Bruce, the mysterious man who took him in. He briefly wondered if he ever got used to it. The pain, the torture of having your loved ones ripped away from you... He seems happy enough. Going to parties, being rich... but there's something different that Dick just couldn't place. Something deeper.

Dick threw the covers off him, unable to lay in bed any longer. That man's face was still fresh in his head. He'll never forget. His every feature, from his black, oily hair to his dimpled chin. Every time his face ran through Dick's mind, he could feel it. His heart began racing, his palms became sweaty and he could feel his blood boiling beneath his skin. He couldn't focus, his vision turned red and he would shake uncontrollably. He felt so much rage and hatred. It overwhelmed him, overtook him. Dick jumped out of bed, standing in the middle of the room and staring at nothing. He tightened his fist hard enough that his fingers dug into his palms and drew blood. His breathing became erratic as the man's face became more clear in his mind.

"I'm going to find him... and kill him, no matter what it takes..." He resolved to himself. And with that resolve made, he got ready.

* * *

Clayface brought his tentacle-like arm down onto the bar, narrowly missing Bruce who jumped out of the way. He knew he had to feign fear or his cover may be blown.

"Wha-what do you want?" He ask with a tremble.

"Sorry, Wayne. It ain't personal – well, maybe a little – but this is just business." He raised his hand and formed an axe when bullets suddenly began going into his body. Clayface turned to see two security guards pointing guns at him. "Hah! Sorry, boys but that doesn't work on me anymore!" He shot clay bullets at the man, sending him flying. The other one ducked for cover, knocking over a table to protect himself. Clayface temporarily forgot about Bruce and with a sinister grin, walked over to the man, his hands forming a spiked ball and a hammer. He raised the ball and with no other options left, the man pulled out his taser and shot it at Clayface's chest. This had the desired effect, as it caused his body to morph, spreading out like a sheet of butter. Clayface pushed through it and raised his arm to kill the annoying guard when all of a sudden, his hand was frozen. Confused, he turned around to see the Dark Knight standing ominously in the window, his cape flowing in the wind. His face was so dark that only his red eyes were visible, which were narrowed at the moment.

"The Bat... Didn't think I'd see you so soon." Clayface took a quick look around. "Damn, looks like the rich boy got away... oh, well. After I kill you, I'll kill him too."

" **Don't count on it."** Batman quickly threw batarangs at the clay formation but he blocked them with his arm.

"Sorry, Bat, but you're gonna have to do better than that."

" **Done."** Batman grappled up to the ceiling as his projectiles began to beep and exploded on Clayface's arm, sending his clay everywhere.

"Tch, that ain't gonna work-" Before his arm could regenerate, Batman threw an ice grenade at his arm, freezing it and rendering it useless. "Huh?"

" **I know your weaknesses now, Karlo."** Batman was now behind him, a batarang in his hand.

"Screw you!" With his other hand, Clayface shot out his arm and attempted to punch the Caped Crusader but he dive rolled out of the way.

" **We don't have to do this, Karlo. Let me help you. Let me heal you."**

"Karlo is dead!" Clayface slammed his arm on the ground, shattering the ice and regenerating his arm. "Now, there is only Clayface!" He shot out his hand but Batman flipped out of the way in an impressive demonstration of acrobatic ability.

"Heh, nice moves, but let's see you dodge this!" Clayface transformed his hand into a ball and his arm into a chain. He then began swinging around, destroying wall, glass windows and the floor itself. With his other hand, he focused extremely hard, groaning as he struggled to form his next weapon. Batman ran forward and threw explosive batarangs at the ceiling above, knocking rubble down atop him. Clayface managed to dematerialize and then resembled behind Batman, his new formed weapon being a huge assault rifle. Batman ducked out of the way of the oncoming clay bullets, a few managing to nick his armor. Batman didn't expect to suddenly be knocked out of a window by Clayface's elongated arm, the blow sending him falling from the building. Clayface walked over to the open window, only to see that Batman had survived. He sat on a gargoyle, glaring up at Clayface defiantly. Clayface growled, before turning into a long wave of clay and slithered down to Batman, his hand now a huge mace. Batman dived to the street, throwing two explosive pellets at Clayface while he fell.

Clayface smoothly dodged them, allowing to explode in the air. "Haha! That all you got Bat?!" Clayface accelerated, eventually overtaking Batman and then enveloping him inside his body, trapping him. Clayface smirked as Batman tried to punch his way, which proved futile.

"Now... let's just see what happens when we smash in the concrete together."

" _ **I don't think so."**_

Clayface's body suddenly began to heat up, becoming hard and then brittle. "Wha-what the hell are you doing?"

A line was shot out of Clayface's stomach and moments just before impact, Batman zipped out of his clay prison to perching atop a lamppost overhead. _**"I knew it. The suit's ability to up its external heat would protect from his attempts to engulf me."**_

"Damn you..." Clayface quickly began to return to his hulking form while Batman scanned the area.

" _ **No cars, no civilians. Good..."**_ Batman took out a detonator switch and pressed the button. Seconds later, steam began erupting from the manholes, sending the lids flying in the air. The ground beneath Clayface's feet disappeared and he fell the tunnel below. Batman glided down into the tunnel himself, while Clayface began to form a blade with his hand.

"No more Mr. Nice Guy, Batman. Time to die!" He tried to stab Batman but he was too nimble, managing to flip away with speed that would easily make any gymnast jealous.

" **Last chance, Karlo. I can help you."**

"Stuff it! I got things to do."

" **Have it your way..."**

Batman quickly threw a sub-zero grenade at Clayface, freezing his midsection and stiffening his movement. Clayface howled in fury and attempted to slice Batman in half. Batman managed to jump over it while simultaneously throwing a few batarangs at some water pipes, freeing the water to splash down on Clayface. This nullified his powers somewhat, as his arm became muddy and limp.

"Hah! You think this will stop me?"

" **No..."** Batman grappled to the street above, after having pressed another switch and a boom was heard. Clayface glanced behind him and with a shocked face, watched as a fiery explosion rushed down from the tunnel behind him and engulfed him whole. The fire lasted for a whole minute, leaving everything crisp and on fire except Clayface. The entire process seemed to go in slow motion, every wisp of fire being clearly seen as it morphed his body.

" _Seriously?!"_ Clayface's thoughts began flooding as the pieces became clearer. _"He... he planned this? He wanted me to drive him here, to make me think I was in control when he really had an ace up his sleeve the entire time?! What the hell... is this guy..."_

The intense heat had managed to completely harden him, reducing his ability to move. **"...But that will."**

Batman suddenly felt that something was off. He felt like he was being analyzed, watched. He glanced subtly over his shoulder and manage to barely catch a glimpse of someone disappearing from a rooftop. He narrowed his eyes as the police arrived before calling in his car, climbing in and then driving away.

* * *

Arkham Asylum, home to some of the most deranged, mentally crippled, psychopaths in the world. Born out of the Wayne Trust Fund, it has seen a variety of the criminal aspect, but it has indeed helped a few souls but others prove resistant and remain dangerous to the Gotham. Today, however, Arkham Asylum now houses one of its most interesting patients – Basil Karlo, AKA Clayface. He was trapped behind an indestructible see-through wall, paid for by Bruce Wayne. The clay-man banged on the wall, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Let me out of here, you sons of bitches! I'll gut every last one of you! Ya hear me?! Huh?! HUH!"

A man walked up to the front of the cell. He was medium height, average build. He wore a green shirt and beige pants, a brown coat folded in his arms and a brown hat in his hands. He had caramel colored hair and hazel brown eyes. Overall, an unremarkable man.

"Bas..."

"Huh?" Clayface transformed to his Karlo form, walking up to the wall and pressing against it in shock. "D-Danny?"

"Hey, Bas. It's... it's been awhile. I, uh, heard about you in the news. How are you?"

"How am I? Gee, I don't know. I have an accident that ruins my face, I get some stupid chemicals that screw up my body and then my two-bit brother comes and visits me in a damn nuthouse! How the hell do you think I am, bastard?!"

"I'm sorry about your accident, Bas. I heard Mr. Wayne has offered to find you a cure."

"Screw him and screw you! What _cure?!_ Look at me bro! I'm a goddamn freak! All I need now is 50 pottery dudes to sculpt me. There ain't no helping me... there's only getting out of here and killing the ones who did me wrong."

Danny shook his head in disapproval. "Bas... whatever that stuff did to you... it must be messin' with your mind too. The people here will help you. This facility has some of the best psychologists in the world and-"

"Go away."

"What?"

"Leave me alone. I don't want to ever see your ugly mug again. I don't need you here patronizing me like I'm some damn little girl. Go screw yourself. The next time I see you, I'll gut you, got it, _bro?"_

Danny sighed, looking down disappointingly. He should've known that this would happen. "I shouldn't have come here... I'm sorry Bas. See ya later." The man put on his hat and turned to leave. Karlo returned to his true form.

"Yeah, get out of here. The hell I need you for? I don't need anything! I don't need to eat, sleep, hell... I don't even need to shit. I don't need ANYTHING! ANYTHING, YA HEAR ME? I DON'T NEED _ANYBODY!_ I'M CLAYFACE BITCH! _"_

The man walked out of his sight, but the words still managed to hit home. Danny couldn't resist the tear that left his face as he realized that his brother has ultimately fallen and may never rise again.


	7. Chapter 6: Confrontation

After the battle, Batman returned to the Batcave in his car. He jumped out to see Alfred rushing to him, a worried look on his face.

"Master Bruce! I'm so happy you're back!"

" **Alfred, what's wrong?"**

"It's Master Dick – he's gone!"

" **What?! How could this happen?"**

"I'm so terribly sorry, Master Bruce. He must have got out when the security systems performed their automatic reboot."

" **Damn it."** Batman rushed to his computer, tapping on a few keys. **"I had just finished handling Clayface, formerly Basil Karlo. He crashed the party, sent to kill Bruce Wayne."**

"What does have to do with-"

" **There are at least two people who would want to kill Bruce Wayne. However, Clayface wouldn't just become an assassin out of nowhere. He wanted something in exchange for this kill. The only thing he could possibly want now is Maroni and the only person who is currently at war with Maroni is the man who overtook Falcone's fallen empire... Oswald Cobblepot AKA the Penguin."**

"Didn't he go free after that deal he made with Mr. Dent?"

" **He did. But now, he wants both Maroni and Wayne out of the picture. He'll know where Maroni is. And he _will_ tell me." **Batman turned around and ran back to his car. The car sped out of the cave, leaving Alfred alone with the bats.

* * *

"We're here."

Gordon and Harvey parked in front of the esteemed Iceberg Lounge, a posh nightclub set up by none other than the Penguin. After making the deal with Harvey Dent, Penguin walked free and set up this club where rich socialites come to eat, dance and listen to classic music. At first glance, it seemed like a legitimate business but Gordon knew better. He and Harvey entered the club, walking past the reservation booth. The woman behind it tried to stop the cops but failed. Cobblepot was standing among some other rich, snobbish looking peers when Gordon stormed up to him and pulled him off by the collar. Gordon pulled him into his office that was nearby and threw him on his desk.

"Bah! Oh!" Penguin coughed a few times, before glaring at the detective. "What in the devil are you doing?!"

A bodyguard stormed in and Harvey socked him with a solid hook, knocking him on his behind. Gordon grabbed Penguin by his collar. "Why the hell did you send one of your men to attack my family?!" With each word, Gordon's grip tightened and his eyes became more feral.

Cobblepot held up his hands, an attempt to calm him down. "Ah, Lieutenant, did I not tell you? You owed me a favor... and you didn't deliver. My men, however, were not ordered to attack your wife, son and niece turned foster daughter. Rather, they were to bring you to me so we could discuss this issue like gentlemen."

"Your men tried to kill me!"

"Can you really blame me for the behavior of a few miscreants? I honestly do not enjoy the methods they use but I must admit, I am pleased with the results."

"Damn you..." Gordon pulled out a gun, putting the barrel to Penguin's chin. Two bodyguards rushed in but Harvey kicked the first one in the crotch before tackling the other to the ground and pounding on him with his fists.

"I should shoot you in the skull right now." Gordon continued.

Despite being somewhat nervous, Penguin displayed a shocking amount of bravado. "Oh... come now, Lieutenant. We both know you are not capable of such a thing."

While Bullock was distracted, another bodyguard ran past him and up to Gordon. Without even turning around, Gordon pointed his gun at the guard, his grip on Cobblepot's collar tightening even more. "You have no idea..." His voice dripped with barely restrained rage. "What I'm capable of."

Cobblepot's eyes widened exponentially as the bodyguard behind Gordon suddenly dropped to the floor like a sack of rocks. Gordon turned around to see Batman holding his arm and Bullock pointing a gun at the Caped Crusader.

" **Enough."** Batman told Gordon. **"Nothing good will come out of killing him now. Bring him to justice, the proper way."**

This seemed to calm Gordon somewhat as he holstered his weapon and released Cobblepot. "Put the gun down, Bullock."

Begrudgingly, he complied. Now, free, Penguin fixed his suit and regained his composure. "Well, I didn't think I'd see you soon. I suppose that-"

Batman grabbed Penguin's collar and lifted him in the air. **"Where's Salvatore Maroni's lieutenant – Tony Zucco? I don't have time for niceties."**

"Zucco? What on Earth would make you possibly think I would know-?"

Batman forcefully thrusted Penguins body through his desk, breaking it and forcing Cobblepot to couch blood. **"I am not asking again."**

"Uh... Ooo... Fine... He frequents a cafe off of 365 Pike Rd. You'll find him there... Now, let go of me!"

Batman released his collar before turning and proceeding through the door. "You're going after Maroni?"

Batman turned towards Gordon. **"The man who murdered the Graysons works under Maroni. I'm going after him."**

"You got evidence?"

" **No but he does."** He motioned to Cobblepot. He then reached into his belt and handed Gordon a USB drive. **"This will extract some files of his computer. Penguin has been keeping track of Maroni for awhile. He won't have enough to pin him or Maroni but you can give this to Dent and he can put them under pressure."**

Gordon nodded and took the device. Looking down at it, he closing it within his palm. He glanced up to see Batman had already disappeared.

* * *

Dick had been walking the streets, taking in the city at night. It was not a glorious place at all. It didn't scare him though. All the fear he ever would've had left him when he saw his parents die. He could still see their faces, bloodied and pale. It made him shudder but also had the effect of making him angry. Dick reached into his jacket and pulled out a picture he had sketched. A year ago, he had been interested in drawing and his parents, always supportive of productive pursuits, payed for his lessons and he became pretty good at it. He had drawn the face of the man he had seen. He had come to now its features well. Dick had seen in his nightmares extremely often, the nightmares that kept him up. The nightmares that made him cry at night. Dick showed his picture to a few people, a few bums, a few waiters in shops and none of them had seen him.

" _This probably isn't the best way of going about this..."_ He thought disappointingly. Wind picked up litter from the streets and blew it around, papers flying throughout the city.

"C'mere you!" Someone grabbed Dick's shirt, pulling him back.

"Hey!" Dick turned around to see two sinister-looking men trying to man-handle him. The one on the right, a tall man with a missing tooth and a lazy eye, socked Dick in the face. It dazed him, but he refused to go down in one punch.

"A'right," The one on the left commented. He was a bit on the chubby side, having a pot belly and a cigarette in his mouth. "Ya got some spunk, ya do, kiddo but we're a' takin' ya whether ya likes it or nots." The man punched Dick in the gut, knocking him out.

* * *

"It was so good, ya know? So good!" Tony Zucco paced back and forth in a small room with another thug. "Maroni was finally treatin' me like I was somethin' but then he finds out that 'Batman's' on my ass. Pfft! Like hell, this guy is real... just some ghost rumor to scare people..."

"I don't know man... Ricky and Carlo said that they knew a guy that knew a guy that knew a guy that knew a guy's cousin that said that the Bat had ripped someone out of a car from the damn roof... long story short, the guy is still in physical therapy for his legs. Guy's crazy, man."

"Yeah, well, he don't scare me."

"Hey Zucco!" The tall man and short guy busted into the room, Dick in their arms. The tall one tossed Dick on the floor like a sock.

"Who's this brat?"

Dick glanced up, his eyes meeting the sight of the man who murdered his parents. Rage instantly built up within him and, with as much power he could muster, charged the man, swinging at him with his fists.

"The hell are you doing, brat?" Zucco punched him in the head, knocking him down. "Who is he?" He asked the two.

"This kid's been going around, asking about you. The boys around Big Mama's Waffle Hut called us about 'im."

"Oh yeah?" Zucco knelt down, lifting Dick's head by his hair. "Whaddya want with me, brat?"

"You... you...! YOU KILLED MY PARENTS!"

"Oh, yeah?" Zucco eyes widened with recognition. "Hey, wait a sec, you're the Graysons' brat!" Zucco forcefully brought Dick's head down. He stood up, pulled out a gun and aimed at him. "Oh, this is just too perfect. Someone up there is really lookin' out for me. Ya see, kiddo, I was feeling the heat. Maroni cut me off, leaving me a prime target for some of his rivals. I had a kid who may or may not have seen me off his parents and rumors are goin' around that some psycho in a bat suit is hunting me down! But now... now if I kill you," He took the safety off. "Ain't no one gonna come after me anymore."

" **Don't be so sure."** Batman crashed down from the ceiling above, kicking the gun out of the man's hand. He grabbed the man roughly by the collar, while the other three men pulled out their weapons. Batman brought Zucco down, pulling him into a chokehold and bringing the fins on his gauntlet near the man's neck.

" **I really hope your men are good shots, Zucco."** Batman whispered in his ear. Waving his hands in panic mode, Zucco yelled at them to drop their weapons.

" **Throw them over here!"** Batman ordered. They had no choice but to comply, kicking their weapons over to him. Dick rose up and began punching Zucco in the stomach furiously.

"Damn you! You killed them! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"

Suddenly, the tall man pulled out another gun and aimed for the kid. Batman, with not much time to react, threw away Zucco, grabbed Dick and dove out of the way.

"C'mon, Zucco!" He said. Zucco jumped up and ran off with his boys, leaving Batman and Dick behind. Dick sprung up and tried to run after them but was stopped by Batman.

"What're you doing? They're getting away!"

" **No. They're not."** Batman's gauntlet was beeping and red dot was shown on his mini-screen, indicating that he had placed a tracer on Zucco. He grabbed Dick by the arm, dragging to him a boarded up window. **"You're going back home. Now."**

"No!" Dick wrestled his arm out of Batman, glaring at him. "No way! Not until I make Zucco pay!"

He saw it. He saw himself in Dick. He saw the anger, the hatred, the sadness. The deep and urgent need to hurt the one who hurt you.

" **Vengeance won't solve anything."** Batman said. **"Justice is the only way to retain balance within yourself."**

"Balance?"

" **You can't let the anger overtake you, control you or it will destroy you."**

"What do you know about it?!" Dick screamed angrily. "What do you know about how painful this is?!"

Before he could answer, Batman heard beeping. He went to the origin, finding it in a chimney. He widened his eyes upon discovering it was a bomb. He heard multiple beeps around the room. Acting quickly, Batman grabbed Dick and threw him out of the boarded up window. He landed on the other side since it was on the ground floor and was a little hurt but otherwise okay. The next moment, a large boom was heard and smoke flew out of the window. Dick jumped up and ran, tripping over something. Looking at the culprit, he found it was a gun. Without thinking twice, he took it, put it in his jacket before running off. A moment later, Batman dived out of the window as well, the flames wisping off his fire-proof cape. Looking around, he realized that Dick was gone. He called the car, got in and then went looking for him.

* * *

Dick continued to walked the lone streets, anger and frustration building within him. Zucco got away. The killer of his parents got away.

"It's all stupid Batman's fault! If he hadn't gotten there... if he... if he..." He couldn't even rant. Tears began falling from his bright blue eyes, his soul crushed at being unable to obtain the peace he yearned for so strongly.

"Hey, kiddo, surprised you ain't barbecue by now."

"That voice..." Dick whipped around to see the man who was the cause of his nightmares, Tony Zucco and his gang. "You!"

"Yeah, I guess the Bat got you out in time. Too bad for you, your luck just ran out. Get 'im boys!" Tony's gang ran to seize Dick, but he was too nimble. He dodged their attempts, before sprinting to a nearby alleyway. The thugs made haste, chasing him down until he came to a fence.

"Dead end, brat." The short one said, pulling out a knife.

"Think again, butt-munch." With the skill of a professional acrobatic, he flipped over the fence, leaving the men on the other side. "See ya, losers!" Before he could run off however, the fence suddenly had a pipe go through it and with a few more hits, the men had made a hole big enough to go through.

"Well... booger." Dick ran and the men once again gave chase. The young boy ran across the street, darting for an old run down store. Once inside, Dick scrambled behind the cashier counter, keeping himself as quiet as possible. Despite his bravado, he was incredibly scared. He didn't know what would happen if they got their hands on him and he prayed to God that they wouldn't. The man came into the door, spreading out to search for him.

"Make sure to look real nice and carefully, boys. We want to have some fun with this face." Zucco announced loudly. Dick was near-seething. He hated that man. He hated him with a vengeance. All he wanted to do was make him bleed, the way he made his parents bleed.

"Come out, little circus boy. We won't hurt ya... much." One of them called out.

No matter how much he wanted Zucco, he couldn't get to him. He was lucky if the men didn't look behind the counter which, judging by the nearing sound of footsteps, someone was about to. Dick reached into his pocket and pulled out the gun. He's never even held one, much less use one but he had no choice. All of a sudden, a loud crash was heard and everybody's attention was turned to the back of the store.

"Where the hell's Micki?" Zucco asked.

"He went to the back." One of them replied.

"Alright, boys!" Zucco loaded a clip into his gun. "The big bad Bat's here so stay sharp! Shoot anything that looks like a rat with wings."

The man who was coming behind the counter turned on his heel and went to explore the rest of the store with the other thugs. Dick peeked out from behind the counter, spying one moving down the aisle, his back to him. Suddenly, as if from nowhere, Batman appeared behind him and took him out silently. He laid the man on the floor quietly before disappearing into the shadows like a ghost.

"...Cool." Dick heard the click of a gun. He turned his head to see Zucco pointing a gun down at him.

"Get the fuck up." Dick rose to his feet, the sound of gunfire and screams still going off in the background. Zucco grabbed the boy by the neck and put of the barrel to his temple just as the screams stopped.

"Listen up, Bat-freak! I got the boy and I'm more than ready to blow his stupid little brains out!" Zucco began edging for the door. "So, if you don't want a little kid's blood on your hands then you'll just-" His movement stopped cold as he backed into a structure, something big. It towered over him, covering him in its shadow. Sweat fell down Zucco's forehead. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't even think well to pull the trigger. Batman disarmed Zucco of the gun and Dick sacked him in the nuts. Zucco fell over like a bag of rocks, stumbling to the floor.

" **It's over Zucco. You're going to put away for a long time."** He turned his attention to the side to see Dick holding out a gun, aiming it at Zucco. His eyes widened at this, seeing the boy with hot tears in the corners of his eyes, his teeth grinding against each other, his face red with anger. Batman could easily disarm him. He could get to it before he heard or noticed him and take the gun. But he knew better. He knew that would only prolong the hatred Dick had for this man. So he needed to do something else.

" **Put the gun down, Dick."** Batman calmly requested.

"Shut up!" The boy shouted. The pain was evident in his face. "It's his fault! It's him! He's the reason my mom won't hug me anymore! He's the reason why I can't swing on the ropes with my dad anymore! It's all because of him! I hate him, I want him to die!"

Zucco turned to Dick, a pained smile gracing his face. "Heh, you ain't gonna shoot nobody, ya brat. You ain't got the balls."

"Shut up! I'll kill you, I swear to God I'll kill you!"

Batman knelt down, bringing himself to Dick's level. **"Listen to me, Dick... you can't give in to the hatred, the anger. You can't let it twist you and turn you into someone like him. Don't let sadness and anger drive you into becoming someone like him, someone who would kill another human being. That's not what your parents wanted you to be."**

"It doesn't matter what they want!" Tears were flowing freely from his face now. "They're dead... they're gone and they're never coming back..."

" **No, they're not. But they're memory still lives on within you. You can still be the best you can be. For them. For their memory. For their sake. Don't betray them now. Please Dick... give me the gun."**

He struggled with the choice, his face contorting into several expressions of frustration and anger. He furrowed his brow, feeling the intense need to end this man build within him even more than before. It was so real, so violent. And then... he saw his mother's face, smiling at him. His father smiling at him. And he knew what he wanted to do. He lowered the gun, handing it over to Batman, who disassembled the gun, tossing it away.

"See, kid? I told ya, you ain't got the-"

Batman threw a concussion batarang at the man's head, the blunt edge knocking him out. Batman then embraced Dick, allowing the orphan to sob and shudder.

* * *

The police had come and taken them away while Batman took Dick back in the car. The boy was silent, his head down and his eyes blank. Batman didn't say anything, knowing the boy had to deal with the pain himself. Batman turned the corner, coming into the forest until he came up to the mountain rock. The car began to accelerate towards it. Dick raised his head and widened his eyes.

"WOAH! WHAT'RE YOU DOING?! STOP! STOP!" Just before they hit the rock, it flew open and allowed them inside, closing behind them as they entered safely. Dick turned behind him, looking in shock as the rock closed. He turned to Batman, his mouth gaping. "How the...? Where are...? Huh...?"

Batman stopped in the middle of the landing platform, getting out of the car. Dick jumped out as well, looking at awe at the cave around him. Bats were everywhere, there was a jet on the platform above and a submarine on the platform below. "Woah! This is... the Batcave! The Bat-computer! And the Batmobile!"

Batman raised a brow at the name he just gave his car. "Why did you bring me here? Who-who are you?"

Batman removed his cowl, revealing his identity to the young man.

"Y-you!" Dick cried in recognition.

"You asked me earlier, what do I understand about what you feel... I understand because it happened to me. Because my parents were taken from me. I never found the killer but instead, I decided to do something. To change everything, and to become something better than the man who took them away with a gun. I know how much you're hurting and I'm here to help you."

Dick smiled. "Thanks... Bruce."

Alfred rushed downstairs, a stern look on his face. "Richard John Grayson, where in good heaven have you been?"

Bruce scratched his head while Dick exhaled exasperatedly. "Oh crap..."


	8. Chapter 7: Lover From the Past

"Where is he?" Dent asked, coming through the door to Gordon's office.

"He'll be here." Gordon replied.

"The sooner we get to Ranikov, the better. That bastard has been smuggling heroin into the streets for the last five months."

"Not only that, but he might be trafficking girls in and out of the city. The sooner we get this guy, the better."

" **Ranikov has been in leagues with Sionis."** Batman suddenly appeared in the room, walking out of the shadows into the light. **"Together, they're trying to dethrone Maroni. My contacts say there's supposed to be a transaction of product between Ranikov and Sionis at midnight. They'll be meeting at the junkyard."**

"I'll set up the bust. We'll be ready for them." Gordon said.

" **Have your men stand by until I contact you. If they run in too soon, they'll mess up the operation."**

Gordon nodded, not at all particularly happy to be taking orders but not otherwise having any choice on the matter. Batman turned and grappled out of the window, leaving the two men in the room alone.

"Wanna get some donuts?" Harvey asked nonchalantly. Gordon just sighed.

* * *

Hours later, Black Mask walked out of his company building, his hand in his pocket. He strode until he came upon his car, getting inside as the driver opened his door. After the driver sat in his seat, he put the keys in and awaited directions.

"Drive to the meeting place. Don't stop for nothing, not even cops."

The car began moving through the streets, with three other trucks following closely behind. After riding for awhile, the cars stopped on the docks, the horn of ships being heard nearby. Black Mask and his crew strode over to the other group that stood there – the Demitri Crime Family. This Russian family had been in Gotham for years, but had been dwarfed by other empires such as Falcone's and Maroni's. They were involved in many things such as smuggling, extortion, blackmailing, and murder.

Black Mask walked forward, his arms spread out in a friendly manner. "Ranikov Demitri, my good friend. So nice to see you again."

"Spare us the pleasant facade and let us get on with it." Ranikov was a tall man, somewhat slim, with a furry purple coat that was open. He wore no shirt, allowing one to see three old gunshot wounds on separate parts of his body. He wore brown khakis and boots with fingerless black gloves. He had a furry mustache and sunglasses complete with a bald head.

"Gladly." Black Mask snapped his fingers and one of his henchmen walked forward with a case. He set it on a crate and opened it, revealing thousands of dollars. "Your turn."

One of Ranikov's men walked forward with a case of their own, setting on the crate and opening it. It was a case full of heroin. "Here you are." Ranikov motioned to one of his men. "Check the money."

The man walked up, Black Mask's henchmen looming over him. The man turned back to Ranikov, nodding his head. "It's clean. $20,000."

Ranikov nodded. "Fine, Sionis. Here are your drugs and your 'product' has been washed down, cleaned up and is now waiting for you in the warehouse near the old construction building."

"Nice doing business with you, ya Russian bastard."

" **That's all I needed to know."** Batman landed on the crate, surprising and scaring the men around him. They pulled out their pistols, shotguns and rifles at the Caped Crusader.

"It was a wrong move to come here, freak." Black Mask said.

"You're vastly outnumbered, Bat." Ranikov announced.

" **Count again."** From what seemed to be out of nowhere, cops began springing up and pointing guns at them.

"Don't even try it, scum." Gordon walked up, handcuffs in his hand.

Black Mask and Ranikov growled as the dropped their weapons and raised their hands.

* * *

After the police had taken them away, Batman had drove off to the destination of the warehouse with the 'product'. Batman already knew what they meant by the name. They were the women who had been abducted to be sold to Russian crime lords in Russia and across the country. It was sickening and Batman planned to end it right now.

Landing on the roof of the warehouse, Batman counted the number of men. **_"Six men, all armed. Too easy."_**

Batman stood over the edge of the roof, looking down at the two men guarding the entrance. Batman waited for the men inside to look away from the entrance before silently dropping down behind them and slamming their heads together. He then dragged them out of sight, before moving inside the warehouse unseen.

" _ **They're keeping the girls in the back."**_ On the railing above him, a man was standing over it, smoking a cigar. Batman silently jumped up on to the ledge, reached up, grabbed the man's head and slammed it down on the railing, knocking him out. Batman climbed over, and with crouched movements, began making his way to the other two who were guarding the storage room. The third man was inside, as he heard a whipping sound and some yells. Batman jumped over the railing and landed behind a tall crate. He tapped on it twice, attracting the attention of one of the guards.

"What was that?"

"I'll check it out."

The man walked over, gun ready. He peeked behind the crate to see nobody there. "Eh, it was nothing." He turned back around to see his friend was unconscious. "Hey, what the hell happened to you?!"

" **Me."** A dark, foreboding voice uttered behind him and before he could even turn around, he was soundly knocked out. The final man peeked outside.

"Hey, what the fu-" Batman jumped forward and decked him in the face, knocking him flat on the floor. The girls were inside, dressed in nothing but their undergarments. They had whip marks all over their body and tears running down their face. Batman felt a brief temptation to put his boot through this man's skull but quickly stifled it. Gotham deserved better than that. Instead, Batman pushed a button on his gauntlet before pressing his fingers to his ear.

 _'Batman?'_ Came Gordon's voice.

" **Gordon, I've secured the missing women. They're here in the warehouse so you can send your men to pick them up."**

_'Alright.'_

Cutting off the transmission, Batman slowly walked over to them and cut them free from their bonds but, fearfully, they shuffled back, hugging each other for support. Batman knelt down and spoke in a softer tone. "Everything will be alright now. I promise."

For a moment, the women seemed to believe him, as they tension in their bodies began to lessen when all of a sudden, a woman growled at him. "LIAR!" She yelled. "You-you... you're just like the rest! You're going to hurt us and use us for your own pleasure! I won't be your slave!" She began hyperventilating as the other women began to tense up again.

"Calm down. I'm not here to hurt-"

"Liar! All men are evil! Kill him! Kill him!" The woman sprang up and began attacking and jumping on him. They scratched, kicked, bit, anything they could do to hurt the man. Batman didn't want to hurt them so he dropped a pellet on the floor and seconds later, it spewed anesthetic gas, knocking the women out and allowing Batman to stand up. The desire to crush that man's skill resurfaced but once again, he stifled it and left the room, leaving the women to the police and future psych experts.

* * *

Batman drove towards him, whisking past cars on the highway. He activated the comm-link to the Cave. **"Alfred, I've finished my patrol. I'm coming back home now. How's Dick?"**

No answer.

" **Alfred, are you there? Alfred?"**

No answer.

Batman narrowed his eyes and sped up his car, christened the Batmobile and rushed for home. Driving inside the Cave, Batman parked his car on the platform and jumped out.

" **Alfred? Alfred?!"** No answer indicated he wasn't down here. Batman ran up to his Bat-computer, and checked the hidden cameras he installed around the house. He searched through the entire house, seeing no one was there except Alfred, who was lying unconscious in the living room. Batman ran up the steps to the house and made a B-line to his butler. Upon coming into the room, Batman took of his cowl.

"Alfred," He knelt next to him, trying to rouse him. "Wake up. Alfred!"

Alfred drowsily opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings as awareness came back to him. "...Master Bruce?"

"Alfred, are you alright?"

Alfred's eyes flew open as he grabbed Bruce's arm. "Master Bruce, Master Richard has been abducted!"

Bruce's brow furrowed. "By whom?"

"I-I'm not sure... the person moved fast and... oh! I remember now! They said to give you a message."

"What message?"

"Come to the top of the Statue of Justice, they said. Master Bruce... I'm afraid they might know who you are."

"Don't worry about that now, Alfred." Bruce helped his foster father up and laid him down on the couch. "Sleep now. I'll get Dick back, no matter what it takes. He's my responsibility now."

Bruce put his cowl back on and stalked back into his Cave, accessing his stealth jet.

* * *

Flying over the famous State of Justice, a huge copper statue with a woman in a gown holding up a sword and pointing it towards the city. She had a crown on her head and a shield in her other hand. He saw on top of the crown a shadowy figure. Ejecting from the jet, he glided down and landed behind her.

"So, you have arrived."

" **Where's the boy?"**

"He is elsewhere."

Batman reached for his belt. **"You're going to tell me where he is."**

The woman turned around, facing Batman. She wore golden headgear, golden shoulder pads and golden knee-wear. She wore a pink velvet top, that stopped midriff with golden armor covering her ribs. She wore long blue gloves with pants and boots of the same color. She had dark hair, green eyes, red lips, a nose ring in her left nostril and a barely noticeable mole near her nose. Batman's eyes widened.

" **Miko?!"**

"It's been a long time, Wayne. But do not refer to me by that name. Miko has long since died. My master has honored me with the name Penumbra. I will drown you in shadows." She took out a sword that was strapped to her hip and it began to exude purple flames.

" **I don't want to hurt you, Miko. But a boy's life is at stake. I don't have time for this."**

"Defeat me and I will reveal his location." She rushed him as Batman readied himself. The way she tried to attack him brought deja vu...

" _Huah!" A younger Miko tried to slash down at a younger Bruce with her bokken but he sidestepped it, and spun on his heel, stopping his wooden sword from hitting her just inches from her cheek. Annoyed, Miko swiped the bokken away._

" _Why do you always hold back? Why don't you go for the killing stroke? Do you consider women inferior to you?!"_

_Bruce grunted. "C'mon. We were called to be back at the dojo by noon and it's getting cold." He nonchalantly put the weapon on his shoulder and walked back to the village, leaving Miko steamed. The village was hidden deep in the mountains of Japan. The village was small and was made up of only one type of people – ninjas. Bruce and Miko walked into the dojo, setting their sword by the door. They walked up to the elderly man sitting in the shadows and sat down._

" _Master Kirigi." They respectfully addressed._

" _Miko, Wayne, you have done well training these last few months. You have excelled tremendously, mastering techniques in days in what would take others years to master. Your training is now complete. Your final test will commence tomorrow. Be ready."_

" _Yes, Master." They replied, bowing their heads._

Penumbra ran forth with the sword, cutting down at Batman who pivoted around it before giving her a kick to the stomach, an attack she managed to barely block with her knee. She then tried to give him a slash but Batman blocked it with his gauntlets, breaking apart the blade with the blades on his arm.

" **Stop this, Miko!"**

"My master demands your head as you would get in his way. I have observed you, and I know how you operate. Your life ends tonight.

_Bruce and Miko walked back to their shelter, Miko lighting a candle. She was smiling. "Finally... finally, we'll be one with the shadows." She turned towards Bruce to see him staring at the fire. "Is something wrong?"_

" _After this test, I have to move on. I've been training and learning, but I still have other disciplines to master."_

" _Why? Isn't what you've learned enough?"_

" _No." Bruce clenched his fist tightly. "It'll never be enough..."_

_Miko slowly walked over and sat before him. "Then let us make tonight count." She leaned in and kissed him, pressing her hands against his shoulders. Bruce's hand flew to her waist, as her hands went down to the seams of his shirt._

Penumbra step forward and began attempted jabs at Batman, who shifted his body and avoided all of them. She tried kicking him, but he grabbed heel before stepping forward and kicking her in the stomach, knocking her to the ground.

" **Don't make me do this, Miko. Not again."**

"Miko is dead!" She jumped back and ran forward, as Batman readied himself to end this.

" _Well done, Miko, Wayne. You two have passed the test. You two have become worthy of the moniker "Ninja". However, before I brand you with the name, you must complete your first mission. You must kill each other."_

_Bruce and Miko looked up at him, wide eyed. "What?!"_

" _A ninja is one who will undertake any mission,perform any task for the sake of the objective. Personal feelings towards comrades, lovers, family mean nothing. Only the mission. You must become heartless soldiers of the night. Forsake your heart, take up your blades and fight to the death until only one you stands over the other's corpse."_

_Bruce began to protest but was stopped by the sound of a sword being unsheathed from its blade. He turned his head to see Miko holding her sword, pointing it at him. Her hair covered her face but her eyes could still be seen. She had resolved herself. "Pick up your sword." She ordered coldly._

" _Miko, I'm not-"_

" _Pick it up! And don't you dare hold back on me just because I'm a woman."_

" _No! I will not become a killer!"_

" _If you won't fight, then I'll just kill you!" She ran forward, coming down at him with the sword. Bruce rolled out of the way, grabbing his sword. She turned around and tried to stab Bruce, but he sidestepped, putting his foot behind her knee and pressing down, forcing her to knee and jabbed her in the back of the neck, knocking her unconscious. She slumped over as Bruce laid her down softly. Kirigi clapped at him, causing Bruce to glare up at him._

" _Good, Wayne. Now, finish her."_

" _Shut up!" Bruce shouted crossly. "I'm not killing anyone!"_

_Kirigi shook his head. "You are still naive to the ways of the world. Fine... if you wish to take our secrets and leave then you can keep our knowledge in the afterlife." Kirigi reached for his sword as Bruce angrily charged him._

Batman ducked under Penumbra's reverse spin kick before rising up with a powerful uppercut to her stomach. She doubled over, before trying to punch him in the face. It failed as Batman grabbed her wrist, twisting it over which bent her upper body horizontally. He then flipped her over before subduing her by applying his weight to her body.

" **Now... where is the boy?"  
**

Penumbra tried struggling futilely before finally giving up and sighing bitterly to herself. "My master said that if you defeated me, to tell you the location... He no longer resides in Gotham. Your first clue of his whereabouts rest near the coast at the old lighthouse at the end of Gotham river. That is all I can tell you. Kill me if you wish."

Batman glared at her before cuffing her hands to a pipe, knowing she would tell him nothing else. He tapped two buttons on his mini-computer, one to anonymously call the police and other to call his jet. He jumped off, leaving Penumbra alone on the statue.

* * *

Much later, after Batman had flown away, Penumbra still sat on the statue, seeing no point in trying to escape. She had failed her master, her savior. She had no reason to exist, to continue.

"How long do you intend to stay in the dark?"

A man draped in dark attire came out of nowhere, standing in front of Penumbra with a dagger in his hand. She slowly raised her head, looking up at the assassin with a look of defeat.

"Do I truly have no more use to The Demon?" She asked soullessly.

"Our master does not accept failure. If you cannot kill the Dark Knight, then he has proven strong while you have proven weak. You hold no more value to us. Your fate will be decided by our master personally. Come," He cut the cuffs holding her. "He awaits us."


	9. Chapter 8: Roar of the Tiger

The old lighthouse has stood on the edge of Gotham for over two centuries. It has helped sailors find their way to land and served as a symbol – a symbol of guidance and hope for those who were sleep deprived and tired from the long journey overseas. Batman had landed his jet a few miles back and moved through the trees until he came upon the tall lighthouse. Near the ocean it stood, and just outside were two dark figures cloaked in black standing guard. Batman reached into his belt and pulled out a blowgun. He quickly shot two darts into their necks, soundly knocking them out. He jumped from the ledge and ran inside the lighthouse. Inside, the place was quite old. Dust and cobwebs were seen everywhere. The stairs went into a circular pattern above, leading straight to the top. There was also a path downstairs, which led underground with a few rooms for the tired sailors to rest in, a prison for any pirates captured on the trip and a storage room where people kept food. Later on in the century, an arena was installed and people would gamble on fights between rowdy pirates who needed to punch someone. There were torches leading to the path downstairs, prompting Batman to make his way down there. Coming down the hall, Batman bent down near the edge of the wall, peering around the corner. There were more cloaked figures patrolling the halls, trying to guard something. As the cloaked figure came near the corner, Batman grabbed him and knocked him out. The other guard, when he came walking back around, saw no one patrolling and got suspicious. He began walking down the hall but he was suddenly knocked out from behind. Batman continued deeper into the halls, making his way into the arena. When he entered the room, he saw cloaked men carrying a coffin to the center of the arena. He glanced around the area before his eye rested on two other figures who stood out from the cloaked figures.

The first man was tall, with black hair and red adorning his bangs. He had devilish eyebrows and wore a light blue trench coat. The other figure was dressed in a tiger suit, with black martial arts gi pants and boots.

Batman moved his binocular function around the room, counting no more than thirteen enemies in total.

"Alright!" The man in the trench coat announced loudly. "Begin the extraction of the essence."

"What about the woman dressed in black? The one who tried to sneak in?" The tiger-man asked.

"The daughter of my worst enemy... it'll be delicious seeing her die. Keep her alive for now. Is she still secured in the prison cell?"

"Yes, Master Darhk. She is unconscious, as of now."

"Good. I'll deal with her later – personally."

Three bearded men dressed in fancy robes stood around the coffin and raised their hands. They began chanting words of mysticism. Blue mist flowed around the coffin, lifting it up a few feet off the ground. Red light began emitting from inside and it continued to glow. Batman narrowed his eyes, not knowing what was going on. He wasn't a foremost expert on magic but from what knowledge he did have on it, he knew they weren't conjuring up bunnies and kittens. Taking out a smoke pellet, Batman threw it at the coffin, reducing the magician's visibility to zero.

"What's happening?"

"Smoke?! Why?!"

Darhk stood up from his seat, enraged. "Intruder! Seek him out and eliminate him!" The magician's cleared the smoke with a gust of wind but weren't prepared for an anesthetic pellet thrown directly afterwards. They fell down, now asleep in dream world.

The shrouded assassins appeared out of nowhere and began surrounding Batman, who stood amongst the fallen magicians. From behind, an assassin tried to slice down Batman but he sidestepped like a pro and kicked him in the knee, before giving him a quick but strong uppercut to his ribs, cracking it. Another tried to kick him but he grabbed the assailants ankle while another stepped up to cut him with a knife. Batman dropped down knocking the assassin off balance while simultaneously dodging the armed man's strike. Batman knocked the downed assassin out with a drop knee attack before pivoting from his crouched position to avoid a stab. He then gave a shot to the man's rib before breaking him down from behind the knee. Batman then crushed his ankle before finally giving him a sharp elbow to the back of the head. Batman wasn't prepared however, for the strong cross that hit his jaw and sent him flying to the floor.

Wiping his chin, he glared up at the tiger-man, who was staring down at the Dark Knight with his fists raised. "What do you think you're doing, rodent?"

" **Stay out of my way."** Batman threw batarangs but the tiger-man bobbed and weaved, dodging all of them.

"Enough toys, rodent. Prove your worth by fighting in the ring. Come! Show me what the almighty Batman is worth!"

Batman narrowed eyes before standing up and cracking his knuckles.

"Heh. Clear this coffin from the area!" He ordered aloud. "I'll take care of this."

Four assassins carried the coffin and their unconscious comrades off the arena, leaving Batman and the tiger-man alone.

The tiger-man cracked his neck. "I am known as the Bronze Tiger. I kill with my bare hands, my claws and my pure ferocity." Tiger waited for a reply that never came. "As a fellow fighter, will you know honor me with your own name?"

" **You haven't done a thing to earn my respect. I have no reason to honor you."**

Bronze Tiger growled before he took out some bronze knuckle-busters. He then took up a Muay Thai stance while Batman remained calm and poised, opting not to take a stance and instead choosing to glare at Tiger. This had no effect as Tiger pushed off his rear foot and took a jab at Batman. Batman shifted his body out of the way but couldn't react to the follow up kick that Tiger delivered to the side of his head. The kick knocked Batman off balance, allowing Tiger to give him a roundhouse kick to his side.

On the ground, Batman coughed a couple of times. _**"That kick... It was incredibly powerful. I underestimated him."**_

Batman rushed Tiger, spinning on his heel and giving him a reverse hook kick. He ducked under the kick and grabbed the Caped Crusader's neck before throwing him over his hip. After he landed, Tiger gave a quick jab to Batman's jaw, the bronze knuckles nearly dislocating it. Tiger stepped back, punching his bronze knuckles against each other.

"Where'd all that confidence go?" He mocked. "I expected more from Gotham's mysterious Batman. I suppose legends don't always live up to their folklore, after all."

Batman spit out blood and with surprising speed, propelled off his left foot and side kicked Tiger in the gut. Tiger skidded back a few feet, before ultimately losing his footing and falling to the ground. Tiger rested his arm against his knee, sitting up.

"Heh... now that's more I like it. Now, we're like two animals of the wild – fighting for our lives." Tiger stood up, taking up his stance once more. Batman came in with a punch, but Tiger parried it and tried to backhand his opponent. Batman side stepped along the arm, locking his own two hands around his shoulder and swept Tiger off his feet. Before anything could be done, Tiger kicked Batman in the stomach. Tiger sprang back up, and then delivering a back kick to Batman's gut when he tried to step forward. Tiger followed up with a strong one-two to his face before coming down with two strong hooks to his ribs. Batman shrugged it off, before grasping onto Tiger's neck and trying to knee him. Tiger blocked it before retaliating with an uppercut elbow. Tiger then quickly spun on his heel and gave Batman a spinning side kick to the chest, knocking him onto his back.

"It's the rules of nature. There is no bat that can overcome a tiger. Now," Tiger pounced onto Batman as he tried to get up, putting his knee on his chest. "It's time to clip your wings, rodent."

"Stop." Darhk ordered. Tiger turned his head behind him. "Keep him alive. For now."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you later. For now, just throw him in the prison with that woman."

Tiger turned back to Batman. "You heard him, rodent. Lights out." A strong punch, Batman entered a world of darkness.


	10. Chapter 9: Bite of the Bat

Damp drops of water could be heard in the background. The scurrying of rats and bugs could be heard as well. He could feel that he was on a hard, cold floor and that his jaw in particular was in pain. He slowly opened his eyes to see a woman kneeling over him. As his vision became clear, he was now able to properly see her. To say she was gorgeous would be a severe understatement. She was average height with light olive skin. She had long, shoulder-length brown hair that covered half of her face. The other half was tucked behind her ear, revealing bright green eyes. She had rosy lips and wore a black suit with a gun holster on the side of her leg.

"Are you awake now?" Her accent was Arabian but with a strange blend of English.

Glancing at his reflection in her eyes, his hand flew to his face and he sighed in realization. His mask was off and his face was hers to gaze at. "My mask..."

"Yes, the guards removed it along with your belt. It was quite comical seeing them do so, honestly. It took three guards to take the cowl off. The first one was shocked, the second one was knocked out by some sort of gas but the final one was able to do it. He was, however, shocked as well when he tried to take the belt off. That was accomplished by a fourth guard."

"Excellent..." Bruce sat on his elbows, looking around. He and the mysterious woman were in a small cell, with their only light source being a torch on the wall outside the bars. "Who are you?"

She glanced at him and he could immediately tell that she distrusted him. "...For now, call me Miranda."

"From your hesitation, I'm guessing that's not your real name."

"No. But, if you prove yourself, then I may yet reveal my true name to you... Mr. Wayne."

Bruce grunted. "Prove myself how?"

She motioned her head at the bars. "We need to get out of here. I still have business with that man."

"You mean their leader?"

"Yes. Damien Darhk."

"I've heard of him. CIA and FBI reports have him listed as a top priority target but he's maintained elusiveness around them, establishing various contacts throughout the world."

"Indeed, on the surface, that is all he does. He is much worse than what your governments know."

"And how do you know him?"

"He is one of my enemies. I must eliminate him before he can resurrect the corpse in that coffin."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"In that body is a man known as Cyrus Gold, a small-time crook from the 19th century."

"And what's so special about a 200 year old corpse?"

"Cyrus Gold died in a swamp. This swamp contains powerful mystical properties which could prove dangerous if Darhk extracts it from his body."

Bruce scoffed. "Magic..."

Miranda tilted her head. "You have a distaste for the mystical arts?"

"I just don't do magic."

"I see." Miranda turned to the bars. "Get over it. I don't have time to deal with petty distastes. The city you protect could be in danger if he unleashes that magic. This is the reality we have to deal with."

Bruce stood up and put his mask back over his face. **"I know."** He walked over to the bars and grabbed a hold. **"I'll get it done."** With impressive strength, he completely opened them wide enough to walk through.

Miranda raised a brow, a small smile on her face. "So, you are a man, after all."

Batman smirked. **"No... I'm better."**

Miranda and Batman took to the halls, keeping out of sight of the guards. Miranda and Batman moved down another corridor, coming behind an assassin. Batman grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.

" **Where did you stow away the belt you took off me?"**

"Ugh... I will tell you nothing!"

"We'll see about that." Miranda grabbed a knife from the assassin's back and put the point of it near his eye. "Talk." The assassin could almost swear that this woman looked like a demon from the underworld from the way she glared at him. Her hair covered half her face, giving her an even more demonic stare.

"The storage room down the hall and second door on the left..."

Batman choked the man until he fell into unconscious while Miranda tucked the knife in her belt. "Come." She turned and began making her way down the hall.

Batman glanced at the man who she had just intimidated. _**"She's not bad."**_ He followed her down the hall, the two keeping an eye out for guards. Miranda attempted to make a move down the hall but Batman grabbed her arm and stopped her, shaking his head. A guard came out from around the corner not a second later and began walking down the halls.

Miranda and Batman eventually came upon the room the assassin described, which held guns and Batman's utility belt. After re-equipping themselves, the two made their way back to the arena.

"We have to hurry. If Darhk is able to resurrect that body... we will have an ancient, unkillable monster on our hands."

Batman remained silent, simply following. After evading and taking out guards, Miranda and Batman came upon the arena, this time from a higher vantage point. Miranda widened her eyes while Batman narrowed his.

"No... It has already been completed. We are too late..."

Standing in the middle of the arena was a huge, hulking man. He was over nine feet tall, and was a pale, ghostly grey. He had veins popping out of his skin and arms, with white hair as well. His eyes were a sunken green and his veins glowed the same color. He wore a torn black jacket and torn black pants and had chains on his wrists. Darhk walked up to him, clapping his hands at the monster. The monster, breathing heavily, turned to him slowly.

"Mr. Gold... Welcome back to the land of the living."

The monster roared loudly, nearly deafening the ears of the people in the room while Darhk remained unfazed.

"Quite ferocious... how do you feel?"

"Solomon Grundy... born on a Monday... Christened on Tuesday... Married on WENDESDAY!" Grundy raised his hand to punch to Darhk.

"My lord, please move out of the way!"

"Grundy, eh?" Grundy tried to punch Darhk but Darhk's hand turned black with a white outline and all of sudden, Grundy calm down and began to seem subdued. The color of his veins changed to blue and Grundy simply stood there docile.

"Good... Grundy. I have a task for you, an important task."

Grundy scratched his head in confusion. "Task?"

"Yes. I want you to rampage on Gotham and distract the police."

"Okay... Grundy do as magic-man says."

Darhk smirked devilishly. "Good boy, Grundy."

A gunshot was then seen trying to penetrate Gruny's forehead and everyone's attention was turned to the balcony above them, where Miranda was seen with a rifle in her hands.

"Kill her!" Darhk ordered. The assassins sprang up and ran for the woman, who picked them off with expert marksmanship.

" **Don't kill them!"** Batman ordered her. From above, the Dark Knight came down and kicked Bronze Tiger to the ground, the fighter recovering with a roll.

"Magicians, maintain Grundy. Assassins, fall back. I'll take care of the woman."

Miranda ran back into the corridor while Darkh teleported to the balcony and gave chase. On the ground, Batman and Tiger stared each other down with Tiger taking up his stance once more. Tiger ran forward and tried to punch Batman but he sidestepped out of the way before kicking Tiger in the face.

" _ **My arrogance got the best of me last time... I didn't acknowledge my opponent's abilities. Too bad for him, I don't make the same mistake twice."**_

Batman dropped to the floor and performed a Capoeira kick, to the chin. Tiger recovered from the blow quickly and tried to axe kick Batman but he took it in the shoulder to grab his leg. From this position, Batman used his elbow to snap Tiger's leg from the knee. Though screaming in pain, he kicked Batman away with his other leg and tried to stand on his feet. He limped, struggled but refused to give up.

"Huah!" Tiger jumped forward and tried to tackle Batman but he simply uppercutted him in the gut and drove him to the floor with his fist.

" **I don't have time for this."** Batman raised his fist and soundly knocked Tiger out before glancing at the magicians who were keeping Grundy under control. **_"I need to find Miranda."_** He grappled back up to the balcony and ran after the two.

* * *

Miranda twisted and turned down the halls as wherever she turned, Damian teleported before her.

"I can't keep this up all day, you know! So let's just end this for now..."

As Miranda ran down another hall, Damian awaited her but when she turned back to go the other way, an invisible force field blocked her.

"Blast!" She turned and aimed her rifle at the man as he got closer and closer, holding out his hand.

"Don't worry, my dear... I'll be sure to tell your father that I really, _really_ enjoyed this." His began to glow but before he could fire, a batarang hit his arm, forcing his magical blast to hit a wall. The after effect of the blast blinded Miranda while Damian turned around to face Batman.

"So, I suppose you might be more dangerous than I thought." He fired fireballs at the Dark Knight, who rolled out of the way, retaliating with batarangs.

Damian dodged the first three before stopping the final one with his hand. "Uh uh uh. Haven't you had enough fun with these toys?" The device began to beep and in a few seconds, it exploded in his face. When the smoke cleared, Damian was gone and so was Batman's belt. Batman ran over to Miranda, who was rubbing her eyes.

" **Are you alright?"**

"I can't see a thing."

" **He's gone. And he somehow took my belt with him."**

"Wonderful. So, right now, I'm just as helpless as you."

" **I don't do helpless."**

Batman grabbed her hand and stood her up. **"Follow me. I'll keep you safe."**

She gave a small smile upon hearing this. "What a chivalrous man, helping the damsel in distress."

" **No woman who could frighten an assassin could ever be a 'damsel'. Let's go."** Batman and Miranda ran down the hall, coming upon a flight of stairs that winded to the top of the lighthouse. The two continued on their way, sprinting up the top until they were interrupted by the echo of Damien's voice.

"You still chase me through this tower, unarmed and defenseless, yet you think you can win? How foolish."

Batman ignored his taunts and pushed forward, determined to make it to the top. Miranda couldn't deny his tenacity. Even though it seemed that the odds are against him, he pushes forward with the belief he can still win.

" _A true man."_ She smiled to herself.

" **Stay sharp."** Batman warned as they got to the top. Standing before them was Darhk, with Batman's belt on his shoulder.

"What do you intend to do, now that you're here? How do you intend to stop me now? I am curious, I must admit."

" **Like this."** Batman held out his hand and it began to glow. **"Scatena, leggendario sigillo!"**

Marks began appearing over Darhk's skin, an ancient unreadable language that began to glow as well. It burned his skin while Damian writhed and screamed.

"No! What is happening? Agh!"

" **A friend's spell. She placed it on me for future use against someone like you. I'll have to thank her the next time I see her. You won't be able to use a spell for a few minutes. More than enough time."**

"Indeed." Miranda ran forward and pushed Damian out of the window, allowing him to fall to his death. "More than enough time."

" **What did you do?!"  
**

"I eliminated the threat."

He grabbed her collar, lifting her up in the air. **"Why?"  
**

"Because if I didn't, he would have killed us. Isn't it obvious?" She handed him his belt. Though still angry, Batman took it with narrowed eyes and let her down.

"Besides," She said as she holstered her pistol. "I believe we have more pressing mat-"

"WRUAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"What was that?!"

" **The monster."**


	11. Chapter 10: Solomon Grundy

Grundy charged through the city, toppling bus stands, lampposts and destroying cars. He lifted a truck and threw it into a pawn shop. From above, Batman followed him from the black jet with Miranda inside as well. After dealing with Darhk, they chased down Grundy, who had killed the magicians and escaped the lighthouse. Right now, Grundy was rampaging through Batman's city, terrorizing its citizens and destroying its buildings.

"The only way to stop that monster is to drain the body of his magic! Otherwise, there is no killing him."

" **I suppose you have something in mind?"  
**

"I just need to get close, then it will all be over, at least temporarily."

" **How do I know I can trust you?"**

"Do you have any other options?"

Batman grunted before bringing the jet lower. Grundy turned upon hearing the jet. "Bah!" He shouted distastefully. "Giant black plane annoying Grundy. Grundy don't like it so Grundy crush!"

Grundy lifted up a truck and hurled it towards Batman, who was forced to dive down out of the way. Batman activated a cannon that fired a net at Grundy, the weight from the balls which were attached to it bringing him down on his back.

"Grr!" He struggled to get free, eventually putting his fingers through the net holes and ripping it apart. Batman landed the jet on a roof and jumped out along with Miranda. Grundy was smashing in buildings and jumping on cars.

"I need you to create an opening and then I'll shoot him straight in the head. It won't kill him but render his body free of all the magic for a time."

" **Understood. But _only_ Grundy. No civilians will be targeted. Do I make myself clear?"  
**

"I understand."

Batman pressed a button on his mini-computer before swinging down to face Grundy on the streets. Landing in front of the zombie, Batman pulled out an explosive batarang and threw it at him. Grundy grabbed it, the device exploding in his arm. It had no effect.

"Scary Bat try to hurt Grundy. But Grundy strong and no get hurt. Grundy no die but Grundy crush!" Grundy charged Batman, who immediately began ejecting pellets from his belt. Batman tossed them to the floor and they detonated, creating the sticky material Batman had once used on the Venom-users last year. Grundy tripped and began falling forward on his face with a thud. Batman jumped onto his back and reached forward to grab Grundy's head.

"GRR! NO ONE HURT GRUNDY ANYMORE!" Grundy raised his free fist and smashed through the ground, landing in the sewer waters with Batman on his back. With the material dissolving in the water, Grundy soon became free. He reached behind his back and grabbed Batman, holding him up in the air. Grundy's huge hand was wrapped around Batman's waist, preventing him from reaching his belt. Grundy smirked proudly before squeezing Batman's body. The harder he squeezed, the more Batman struggled.

"After I kill Bat, no one hurt Grundy again!"

The hole Grundy made was partially covered by a shadow. Above them was the Batmobile, aiming two harpoon-like weapons down at him.

 _'Lock-on: Fire.'_ The car automatically shot them into Grundy's shoulders before electricity began running through the connected wires and stun Grundy. His hand began to loosen around Batman, allowing him to reach his belt and pull out two batarangs. The minute Grundy opened his eyes did Batman speedily threw the projectiles into his sockets, blinding him. Grundy dropped Batman, allowing him to splash on the sewage floor before Grundy's hands flew to his face. A second later, the batarangs began to emit electricity as well, shocking his very brain. Batman grappled up the hole while Grundy was stunned, stumbling around due to the barrage of attacks. Grundy then pulled the batarangs out of his eye sockets before a mysterious blew hue was emitted from them and his eyes regenerated. After the return of his sight, Grundy grabbed the wires of the car and pulled on them, bringing the car down. Once the car landed, Grundy jumped on the vehicle and crushed it beneath his feet.

"Stupid car no match for Grundy! Grundy crush everything!"

After stomping the Batmobile flat, Grundy jumped up through the hole. The second he jumped through the floor did a gunshot sound off and a yellow shard pierce his skull. Grundy's veins shifted from blue to yellow and his body instantly began to shrink, losing its huge muscles and becoming empty, the lifeless corpse beginning to fall to the ground until Batman caught it in his arms. He glanced up at the roof to see Miranda smiling down at him in a familiar way. In turn, he returned the gesture with a small somewhat uncharacteristic smile of his own.

* * *

"My organization will care for the corpse, don't worry." Grundy's shrunken corpse was loaded onto a private jet.

Miranda smiled up at him. "You really impressed me. I figured you were simply a silly, delusional man in a batsuit with fanatic delusions of grandeur."

" **Thanks."** Came the sarcastic reply.

"But I was wrong. You're strong, honorable and brave with a compassion for the innocent and for those who may not even deserve it. You're the perfect man."

" **I'm far from it, believe me."**

"I don't believe that." She walked up to him and kissed him on his exposed cheek.

" **You still haven't told me your name."  
**

"My name? Hmm... I suppose I did say I would tell you. My true name is Talia." She turned around and waved at him. "Perhaps, we will cross paths again someday."

Talia boarded the plane as Batman watched it take off from its private runway. In the casket, a beeping device resembling a bat could be seen by the corpse were it still alive. From the ground, the wind blew through the Dark Knight's cape as he watched her fly away.

" **Sooner than you think... Talia."**


	12. Chapter 11: Fallen Demon

Cairo, Egypt. A rather beautiful place to visit, containing various marks of cultural and religious history. In the streets of Cairo, Bruce Wayne walked, disguised as a visiting Westerner, but in actuality, he searched for his young ward, Dick Grayson. While under his care, the boy was kidnapped by an organization he knew he would encounter at some point in his life. The tracker he had placed in Solomon Grundy's led to this city, where he believed the kidnappers held the boy.

" _That woman said her name was Talia... If it is translated from its literal Hebrew origin, it means 'Dew of God'. In truth, looking upon her, I could see how that could be appropriate. Her skin indicated someone of Arabian origin yet her accent contains a hint of British. I can deduce several things from my encounter with her... the 'Head of the Demon' and the 'Dew of God' are related in someway. Darhk called her the daughter of his greatest enemy and if Kobra really was part of this larger organization, then it's not far off to think that the Head of the Demon was the leader of this larger organization, Talia is the daughter of the leader and she holds my ward. I'm coming, Richard. Just hold on."_

Bruce pulled out his watch, which displayed the monitor for tracker he put in the coffin. He stopped in front of a coffin shop, which was closed around this time. He snuck inside the building from the back and, once inside, proceeded to the basement. Downstairs, two men were handling the coffin, placing it down in the corner of a room. Bruce glanced down at his watch, confirming that the coffin they handled was Grundy's.

"Excuse me, stranger," A voice spoke out from behind Bruce. "Are you lost?"

"No." Bruce replied without turning around. "I think I've found what I was looking for."

The man behind him tried to pounce Bruce but he back kicked the man in the gut, instantly knocking him unconscious. The other two ran up the stairs to attack him but Bruce knocked out the first one with a hard right before throwing the other one back downstairs. Bruce walked down casually as the man tried to get up but Bruce kicked him in the stomach, causing him to collapse again.

"Are you... him?" The man asked.

"'Him'?"

"The one the master seeks..."

"Where is your master?" Bruce asked.

"He lies in the mountains of Tibet... in the mountains that resemble the ears of a cat... you will find him there."

The man passed out, unable to tell Bruce anymore. No more words were needed however, as he knew everything he needed to. Before left for the stairs, he glanced at the coffin behind him for a moments. After a bit of thought, he pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Alfred? There's something I need you to pick up."

* * *

Batman, now that his destination was clear, flew in his jet to the mountains of Tibet. He had been to Tibet before, trained with its monks and mastered their ancient techniques. He learned how to hone his spirit and he strengthened his discipline through the training. He would use that training as he flew to the face the man known as the "Head of the Demon".

He landed his vehicle on a mountain, some ways off from his destination. He wanted to enter with some sense of subtlety, after all. Batman exited the jet, accessed the thermals in his suit and began trudging through the snow, both on ground and raining down from the sky. Beyond stopped short as he saw a figure standing in the snow, cloaked in white. This figure held out his hand and beckoned Batman to follow. Though suspicious and cautious, Batman opted to follow but remained on full alert. After nearly an hour of walking through the snow with his silent companion, and climbing the mountain that formed one of the "cat ears", Batman finally saw it – The house of the demon.

"Come. My master is expecting you."

Batman was led by his escort into the fortress walls, guards standing out by it. The doors opened and Batman followed the man inside, walking through the halls of the place. It seemed like a a palace with a medieval theme, with torches on the walls, a red carpet on the bottom and knight armor standing by the walls. Batman and the guard turned another corner, with Batman being ready for an ambush at any time. No such thing happened as he and the guard came to a final door.

"Master, we have arrived." The guard called from outside of the room.

"Enter." A dignified yet powerful voice commanded.

The doors were opened and what lay behind them were guards all lined up on either side of the carpet, which led up to a throne with the design of a Chinese dragon. Standing by the throne was Talia, dressed in a long white skirt, that exposed her hips and legs at the sides along with a white top that exposed her stomach and a bit of cleavage. The most exotic thing however, was the man sitting in the chair. If Batman were honest, he would say that he didn't think the man sitting before him was human and seemed to be raw example of pure darkness, the flow of his presence overwhelming the room. If one were to see the man's soul, you would see the manifestation as a giant ghoul, fiercely looking down at the world like worms. The man in the throne was wearing a loose white silk shirt that exposed a bit of his chest and wore dark green pants with matching color boots. Around his shoulders was a majestic cape, green in color and adorned by yellow trimmings. His hair was slicked back and black in color. He had a widow's peak, with his side burns white. His facial hair was not too wild but looked similar to mutton chops without the thickness but the most distinguishing feature of him, however, was his demonic eyes. They were blood red in color and had the pupils of a serpent.

"I bring you the Batman, master."

" _ **This is the man... known as Ra's Al Ghul... The Demon's Head..."**_

" **Where is the boy?"** Batman demanded.

Ra's snapped his fingers and a huge, muscular, bald man brought Dick out, kicking and screaming. "I'm impressed, Wayne. Your deductive powers are indeed potent."

Batman narrowed his eyes upon the mention of his name. **"Let him go."**

"I have no further need for him. I'll allow him home on one condition – you and I do battle on the mountains above."

" _ **Battle? Why does he...?"**_

"To be frank, Detective, you are an obstacle in the way of my plans. It would be a rather simple matter to have you executed now, however, I am a man of honor. Fight me and whether you win or lose, the boy goes free. Back to your polluted city with your butler."

" **Fine. I accept."**

"Talia." Ra's addressed her. "Make the preparations."

"Yes, Father." She obediently replied. Throughout the entire exchange, she had been eyeing Batman.

* * *

On the mountain, in the winter-like weather, Ra's and Bruce stood several feet from each other. The commandments for the duel was to battle shirtless, so Bruce removed his mask and body armor while Ra's removed his cloak and shirt. The two men, physical examples of pinnacle fitness, stared each other down as the wind picked up.

Around them, Ra's daughter, Talia watched with worry, biting her lip as she repeatedly glanced at Bruce. Ra's bodyguard, Ubu, watched as well, with Dick beside him.

"You've drawn me here simply to kill me on your own terms, correct?" He asked.

Ra's crossed his hands behind his back and looked below the mountains. "A beautiful scenery, is it not? The work of the Divine, laying down the laws of nature for all life to follow. And follow it they did. The animals, a harmonious presence of the world, have been trampled by monkeys who grew too smart. A pathetic race humans have become. War after war, bloodshed after bloodshed and yet, we still exist and still function. Undeservedly so, for the one to suffer most on this planet is the planet itself. The animals, the forests, the skies, the earth – all damned by man's greed. You," He looked at Bruce. "Are a product of propaganda and false beliefs, yet rival my own determination. A brainwashed fool who would stand in the way of my goals. A fool that, yes, I have decided to end on my own terms in my own manner."

Bruce's blues narrowed. "What are your plans?"

"You expect me to divulge my plans to a dead man? Pointless. Choose your weapons so we may do battle."

A case was brought before Bruce, holding various weapons that were centuries old in concept. Bruce picked out two katanas, sharp and deadly. Ra's reached behind his back and pulled a dagger no bigger than his forearm. Bruce glared at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Tell me, Detective, would you send an army to kill a sparrow? Neither would I. I don't believe in killing a weak thing with anything but a weak weapon.

" _He mocks me."_ Bruce hold his swords out and took his stance. Ra's merely stood there, poised and deadly, facing each other.

"Heh!" Dick smirked, wiping his nose. "That old weirdo won't know what hit him! No one can beat Bruce!"

Talia didn't look as confident, looking on with worry between Bruce and her father. Ubu raised his hand between the two men. If one could see the manifestation of their souls, you would see a giant ghoul and a rabid bat-like demon squaring off, fiercely growling at one another. "Fight!"

Bruce ran forward, turning his blades to the dull side. He spun around Ra's, who simply stood there, and immediately went for the back of his neck with both swords.

CLANG!

The blades clashed as Ra's simply blocked the strike with the dagger, holding Bruce's blades there with his block. Ra's had neither turned around nor made any motion other than raising his arm and blocking the swords with his dagger.

" _What?!"_

Ra's glanced at Bruce out of the corner of his eye. Bruce recovered from Ra's block and spun again, this time going for the side of his neck. Once again, Ra's smoothly blocked without moving any other muscle.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Bruce tried to vary his strikes but Ra's fended them off as if Bruce were amateur. Ra's moved in, stabbing Bruce in the leg before pushing him to the snow with his shoulder.

"How...?" Dick looked on, amazed. "Bruce wasn't playing right? He tried to hit him for real, didn't he? Bruce can dodge bullets and break walls but that guy... is treating his attacks like it's nothing!"

" _No..."_ Bruce breathed out, standing on his two feet. _"This man can't be that much better. There can't be that big a gap between us!"  
_

"You feel it with every clash, don't you, boy?" Ra's said. "O frog, trapped in the well, know the immensity of the real world."

Bruce tried to strike at him from all angles, trying to non-lethally take him out, moving in different types of footwork and utilizing different forms of the sword – kendo, banshay, fencing but Ra's countered with literally one hand behind his back. Every move was either countered or parried, every attack neutralized with defense and with every one-sided exchange, the distinct difference of skill between two become more and more apparent.

As Bruce came in for a stab, Ra's pivoted and gave him a shallow cut on his neck. Bruce shrugged it off and tried slashing at Ra's with his left sword but Ra's ducked under it before stabbing him in the shoulder. The Demon was close to him, whispering in Bruce's ear.

"I see it... Your rage, your hatred. All of your attacks, all of your moves scream of vengeance. I can feel your angry spirit through your blade, see your mastery of techniques in the way you move. You have truly felt injustice and pain. You wonder now, after all those years mastering those techniques, of conquering and using your pain, why are you losing now? Being treated like a child in a deathmatch?"

Ra's pulled out the blade and struck a gash across Bruce's upper back. Bruce retaliated by spinning around and striking at Ra's but once again, Ra's easily blocked Bruce's powerful without breaking a sweat. "It's very true," He continued. "That your pain has forged you into the man you are today. An admirable but weak fool. However..." Ra's pushed against Bruce's blades, with Bruce trying and failing to struggle against his steady force. "I have lived on this planet for nearly 700 years. My mission started with pain as well."

Ra's pushed Bruce away, cracking the man's blades. "My pain has allowed me to forge my body beyond what anyone could consider human. In my youth, I could kill 600 men. And that would only be a warm-up. In your lifetime, you must have mastered a few martial arts, yes? In my lifetime, I've mastered _all_ of them. You've learned the sciences, I hypothesized their theories. You've built weapons, I've built armies. You raid hideouts, I burn cities. _My_ pain is much greater than yours, boy." Ra's stepped forward and pierced Bruce in the stomach, who took the strike head on without flinching or stepping back.

Ra's glanced up, red demonic eyes meeting angelic blue. "Do you wish to taste blood on your tongue? Why do you refuse to move?"

"My entire life... I ran forward into the darkness, unafraid to die. I trained and trained, remembering my vow through it all. If I stopping running forward, if I take a step back because I saw a monster, I'll never be able to look at the ones who I made the vow to in the eye again..." Blood was dripping his chin.

"Even if you die?"

"Death is the preferable option!"

A small smile graced the Demon's lips. "Perhaps I underestimated you boy." He pulled the dagger out and sheathed it. "Very well. It has been centuries since I've last seen such strong will. To honor it..." He held out his hand and a large sword with a curved handle and a blade the curved mid-way was handed to him. "I will kill you with the legendary Muhanned sword."

"How nice of you..." Bruce readied himself for his final attack, the on-lookers known as Talia and Dick having reactions ranging from worried to down-right scared for his life.

Bruce ran forward, crossing the blades. He stepped in deep before going for the non-lethal blow that never connected. Ra's immediately cut the blades themselves, shattering them to the floor. The next moment was a blur to Bruce as Ra's then cut up on the left side of Bruce's body, from his-thigh to the tip of his eyebrow, leaving a large gash that nearly cut his eye. This gash gushed out red blood, coloring the snow red beneath their feet. Bruce stumbled back near the mountain's edge, his body spewing blood. His vision had now blurred completely and his body was out of his control. He fell back, falling from the mountain. If one could see the manifestation of their spirits, you would see the bat-demon falling down with the ghoul solemnly looking onward.

Dick's eyes widened as Bruce's body fell out of his sight. "BRUCE!"

Talia ran over to the edge and watched as he fell downward. Further and further his body fell. Bruce, as he fell, reached out to the two figures holding out their hands.

"Father... Mother..."

His body came in contact with cold lake below and blackness invited him, as his blood flew to the surface.

* * *

A.N.: Yes, Ra's Al Ghul a jobber and in my universe, as a badass as he should be. And he was serious about that "being able to do things that you wouldn't consider human" but that will be expanded. So yeah, characters in rogues gallery who are usually jobbers (*Cough* Croc! *Cough*) will be better than they are portrayed in the comics. Also, a cookie to the first person who can guess what anime fight this was based off of. Hopefully, that doesn't step on anybody's toes. Also, I'm afraid to say I will be leaving this story in the air for now. The necessary parts of the story were developed so I'm fine with that for now and I'll try to finish at some point in time but I've just lost too much interest and have already begun working on the sequel (weird, I know). Still, I hope you stay tuned for the next story in the Batman Chronicles series and look out for my side stories too. Until next time!

Green out.


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